A L C O H O L
by breadbutterpudding
Summary: Brandy One-Shot's efforts in searching for his idiot runaway sister was rewarded by having his face printed on a bounty poster. No longer accepting OCs
1. Pursuit Prologue: Angry Captain

**A L C O H O L**

Intro: Pursuit

_...how the hell did this happen to me?_

Brandy stood motionless, staring blankly at the newspaper his hands.

_Just what did I do?_

His team behind him were arguing over who deserved more beri under their name on their bounty posters.

_Just what went wrong?_

"-don't you agree, Captain?"

_Just **how**..._

The corner of Brandy's eyebrow twitched, in one swift motion he jerked round and pointed an accusing finger at the bewildered people in front of him. **"YOU!"**

A few concerned glances were exchange by his sudden eruption.

"Captain, are you all right?"

"DO I LOOK ARIGHT TO YOU, BASTARDS?" Brandy slammed his foot down so violently that the wooden surface shook. "BECAUSE I LET YOU GUYS TAG ALONG, I MADE FRONT PAGE, DAMN IT!" He promptly chucked the paper on the floor with a blurred image of him escaping from a handful of burly gentlemen.

This only arose more confusion. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"I'VE BEEN LABELLED AS A DANGEROUS PIRATE, OF COURSE IT ISN'T A GOOD THING!"

Friends are for life, pirates are for death.

* * *

**You've seen these before, so I guess there isn't much to explain... but by the way, I will not accept the Water Water Fruit~ First Mate I will pick out by myself so give me your best! And oh, I'd prefer it if you send me an OC you haven't already submitted to another story but it doesn't really matter if it isn't.**

**This is also my first 'Submit OC' fic so please be supportive!**

**And so~ positions required!**

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman  
Navigator  
Sniper  
Chef  
Doctor  
Archaeologist  
Shipwright  
Musician/Entertainer_**

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines  
Enemy Crew  
Ally Crew  
_****Shichibukai (**has to be a very good OC...**__****)**

** And onwards with the OC form!**

**Name:**

**AKA:**

**Age:**

**Position:**

**Enemy/Ally:**

**Physical Appearance:**

**Clothing:**

**Personality: **Please have a minimum of five sentences

**Ability:** It'll help to be descriptive here as well~

**Weakness: **Need at least five please- then again a Shichibukai's will be a bit less obvious...

**History:**

**Likes:**

**Dislikes:**

**Opinion on Brandy:**

**Other:** Anything I missed out?


	2. Pursuit I: Mighty Doctor

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit I: Mighty Doctor

As usual the house was an absolute mess. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, plates of half-eaten food left carelessly on anything with a flat surface, wrinkled newspapers scattered like confetti... and a gaping hole in the wall. Brandy frowned at the newest feature to his abode, the hole was not in the shape of a person so at least it did not meant a terrible accident was involved, but if it was not an accident then someone had done it on purpose.

"Rum, what did you do to my wall?" he called up the stairs. He was only gone for a week, he knew Rum would have done something during his absence but not something that obvious.

Normally Rum would stagger down wearing a goofy grin on her face whilst trying to make up a convincing story about today's antics- and would then receive a smack on the skull. However, she did not as much come out of her room.

"Rum, are you listening?" Brandy ascended to the second floor and walked straight into his sister's room without knocking. "Rum?"

The room was empty. _Completely_ empty. Clothes, maps, useless but 'cool' devices, furniture and all had just disappeared. Brandy blinked several times to check he was not delusional, he even walked out of the door and came back in again just to make sure of it. Then he spotted a folded piece of paper on the windowsill with Rum's so-called signature scrawled at one corner with a stubby pencil. Brandy picked it up and unfolded it, finding a very messy piece of writing with a lot of crossed-out words and unrecognisable animals drawn around it.

Deer Bradi

_Are you kidding me, Rum? We're fucking family and you don't even have the courtesy to spell my name right?_

Im tired of peepal making fun of me cos Im a girl...

_It's not that at all, Rum. It's because you're an utter **moron**._

and that I cant be Pirat King.

_It's obvious, dear sister. You just can't make the cut. And what the hell is with your crappy spelling? Even I can do better than you!_

Im gonna pruve everione rong and find a krew.

_Wait. What?_

Then I wil taik down the Shichibukai and be faimos.

_Oi, that's depressing. You spelt 'Shichibukai' right and not your brother's name. It's even a kanji less, damn it!_

Sow wish me luk, Bradi. I wil bee bak as soon as posibal.

_Yeah, just go get you and your poor excuse of a brain completely Marine-ed. See if I care._

Thanks for everything, you're my favourite family and one day I will tell the world how great you are.

~Rum.

"WHY DID ONLY THE LAST SENTENCE HAVE NO GRAMMAR MISTAKES? YOU IDIOOOOT!" Brandy- with tears streaming down his face- was speeding across the water at an increasing velocity in a small boat, heading towards the vast blue ocean in pursuit of his sister.

* * *

**Crash.**

**"Uwaaaah!"**

**Splash.**

**Gurgle.**

* * *

The Monroe Hospital was fair-sized and popular with elderly gentlemen, after all the hospice was situated very close to a town inhabited mostly by the retired. Olivia Harley was a middle-aged merchant who would sometimes to stop by to trade food and expensive herbs with the only doctor of the floating medical centre.

She was currently taking a rest from her trip at a nearby market-ship and also was about to start a deal with Doctor Monroe.

"Harley, Harley!" the chirpy voice of the client danced through the door.. "You never guess what I found!"

Harley sighed _Great, another distraction.._. "Monroe-san, can we first please deal with the goods first?" She had to be patient though, after all Doctor Monroe was still very much a child.

Despite being only 18; Seth Monroe was a very tall girl with long, sandy hair which exploded around her in tangled locks, slightly tanned skin from prancing in the sun and lots of freckles scattered over her face. "It's so amazing!" she continued as if she never heard Harley. "It's like totally, fabulously, to-the-extremely, awesome-filled thing ever!"

It only took Harley's first meeting with her to learn how many 'awesome-filled things' there was everyday out at sea. "What is it, Monroe-san?" Harley asked calmly.

"Come see, come see!" Seth eagerly took her staff-member by the sleeve and dragged her to the deck and pointed to the deep blue waters. "Over there!"

Harley frowned, not understanding what she was meant to be looking for. "What exactly are you trying to show me?"

"That funny-coloured sea-urchin!"

Finally did Harley spot a mop of teal fluttering on the ocean surface, sinking and rising at random sequences, she watched it wordlessly before slowly turning to the 'ingenious' doctor Monroe who preformed miracles at the surgery Harley could not have even dreamed of.

"Monroe-san; first thing I'd like to inform you is that sea urchins are small and spiny circular creatures," Harley stated flatly. "_That_ urchin has a more thread-like structure. Secondly; sea urchins live deep in oceans on rocks, _that_ urchin is floating on the surface. Lastly; CAN YOU NOT SEE THE BUBBLES COMING OUT NEXT TO IT? THAT MEANS ITS DROWNING!" Abruptly, Harley turned to one of her grunt workers. "You, you're a man, aren't you? Go save that drowning urchi- I mean person!"

The next few minutes were hectic chaos as a young male not much older than Seth herself was pulled out of death; he was trying to save himself using a float made for young children which did not deem very useful. At the very least, his brightly coloured teal hair attracted attention and was saved.

Seth quickly preformed a CPR on him, and in seconds was he regaining conciousness and coughing up seawater.

"Uwa~ the urchin's waking up!" Seth announced excitedly.

"Wh-Where am I?" came a groggy demand.

Seth grinned, her face was glowing brightly as the flower tucked behind her ear. "That's an excellent question, Urchin-san! You have the great honour of boarding the Monroe Hospital, the only hospital that is on water!"

"U-Urchin?" the guest squinted at the glinting sun. "I don't even _like_ seafood damn it..."

"Hm? Then what's Urchin-san's real name then?"

"...Brandy," he answered, rising from the bed in a sluggish fashion. "Brandy One-Shot."

There was a pause.

Seth titled her head to one side and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Ah well, Urchin-san sounds cooler!"

"It sounds as if you're demoting my right to be a human!"

A sharp, loud cough broke off the conversation. Harley cleared her throat and studied Brandy carefully. "One of my men spotted broken framework of a boat drifting towards the east, I take it you somehow crashed?"

Brandy nodded curtly which also made some long teal locks fall over his eyes, he swore and quickly brushed it away leaving just a few strands framing his face. Harley noted his sudden reaction but did not mention it. "Yeah, I suppose I did." But in all honest; he could not remember what exactly happened, he only recalled desperately trying to get his head of the water. "Thing is, I'm in a real hurry right now so do you mind taking me to a shipwright?"

"Unfortunately, I too am on tight schedule and so..."

Seth instantly shot her hand in the air. "I know, I know!" she then grinned at Harley. "Why don't I take Urchin-san to the market-ship using the hospital?"

"Would you stop calling me that!" Brandy snapped- only to be ignored by both doctors.

Harley adjusted the wire-framed glasses on her nose. "Well, I understand this is your property but... to the market-ship?

She received a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "No worries Harley, I can take care of myself!" She spun round on the balls of her feet and headed towards the stern. "I'll be getting ready Urchin-san so wait here!"

A well-dressed man briskly walked over and whispered something hastily in Harley's ear, she nodded at him and made a few instructions. "Seems that I need to be off then..." her eyes trailed to Brandy. "And urchi- I mean young man, are you a pirate?"

Brandy frowned. "No."

"Good for you then," Harley said without much emotion in her voice. "Try anything funny with Monroe-san, I swear on every urchi- I mean fish in the sea that I will personally see to you. That is if she doesn't kill you first."

"What?" Brandy's dark green eyes widened. "As in 'she' do you mean that Miss Rainbows and Happiness?"

Harley did not reply; she turned away from him and marched back into her own ship with her employees, stopping just once to wave to Seth. "Another thing!" she shouted to Brandy. "Do not cross paths with Allister Krypt, you will be in so much trouble that you really will feel as if you're a pirate."

Her trading ship then disappeared, whilst Monroe Hospital was making its way to the market. The ship which Allister Krypt ruled.

* * *

With a pair of fine leather boots on the table, Krypt began playing aimlessly with his knife, prodding a shiny wax-like apple in some areas to allow the juice to drip onto his fingers.

A burly man with a hairless scalp awkwardly shuffled into the room. "Boss, we have an unfamiliar boat coming towards here."

Finally finding a sense of excitement, Kyrpt snatched his mini telescope from the desk and peered outside through a stained window. Everything deflated into disappointment when he saw it was only the Monroe Hospital. It harboured an skilful doctor who would usually buy what they need by passing trade ships instead of directly to the market itself in order to still catch patients. June was also apparently the doctor's holiday where she'd take her ship to the nearest island for a rest.

"You idiot, it's the _doctor_," Krypt threw his telescope at the adult. "She's that ridiculously happy loner, _remember_?"

"...two."

"What?"

"There were two people on the ship though."

Krypt yanked the knob of the first drawer, where a whole set of mini telescopes were kept. He picked one at random and viewed the ship once again. Next to the sand-haired girl in her colourful tank-top and shorts, was a teal-haired male with his hair mostly pulled back to create a spiky appearance, clad in a sleeveless blue-grey top, puffy black trousers and a long white sash tied to his waist.

"What's with his get-up?" Krypt asked to himself and then yawned. "Whatever, he looks just like a visitor..."

The bald employee frowned a little. "I thought you'd recognise him, sir."

"Hm?"

"Doesn't he look awfully like that girl four days ago?"

"What do you mean, I see girls everyday, how am I suppose to-" Krypt paused to briefly touch the neat scar on his right cheek. "Oh... now I know who're you talking about..." an evil grin stretched across his face. "Time for revenge, brat."

* * *

"-and then when I was 12, daddy taught me how to do organ transplants! It was a little tricky so we had to practice on some pigs first and all but it was all okay!" Seth blabbered on about her life, she grew up being taught medicine at an extremely young age. And also to never allow someone on board unless they had the money to pay for it- however, Brandy's case was slightly different since he was drowning. She felt sympathy for him as well since she apparently is unable to swim.

"Where _are_ your parents?" Brandy quickly interrupted her. "Are they on board?"

"Nope!" she answered. "They've been gone for a bit."

"What are they thinking letting their kid run a hospital by themselves?"

"It's okay, because I'm _strong_!" and for emphasis, she tried showing off the muscles in her arm- or really just the bone of her arm.

Brandy rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure, you're a total macho Monroe."

"Are you a traveller, Urchin-san?" Seth randomly changed subject. For the eighth time.

"No, I'm looking for my little sister, Rum," he casually replied. "She's right now trying to become-" '_And urchi- I mean young man, are you a pirate?'_ Brandy stopped the forbidden word from spilling from his mouth before Seth caught them. "A-A-A lawyer..."

Seth blinked at him with large onyx eyes. "But a lawyer's a nice job."

"It's a nice job for smart people," Brandy hastily said. "Rum's mentally defective, everyone knows it." _Well, at least I told her half the truth..._

The doctor jumped to her feet and stabbed the distant waters with her finger. "Ah look, we're here!"

The market-ship was one of the biggest vessals Brandy had set eyes on. It towered above him like a mountain to a sand-castle, made of strong, dark wood and carried an opposing aura. On every level there were different shops displayed; one for clothes, one for food, one for tools, one for books... the list was endless. But instead of directly boarding it, Seth had taken the hospital to a detour and parked next to a close-by small boat, connecting to it was a floating quay with several smaller sized ships organized at their own positions.

"Toso!" Seth sang, jumping onto the jetty. "Toso, Toso, Seth is here!"

A heavy-lidded, unamused elderly man poked his long, hooked nose out of the window. "Seth is it? Have you finally broke your ship during your sleep?"

Brandy frowned but Seth laughed gleefully. "Nope! I brought someone here to see you!" She made a large wave of her arm towards her companion. "This is Brandy and he's on a magical adventure to go find his beloved!"

There was a pause.

Toso still looked unamused.

"Yeah, you're a maker, right?" Brandy pulled Seth behind him so he could talk directly to the elderly gentleman. "I need something which can fit some company, hold against a bit of turbulence and is quite speedy." He took off one of his black slipper-like shoes and pulled out a folded piece of paper, inside was a handful of notes which he handed to Toso.

"Got it," Toso accepted the money and shoved it into his pocket. "Come back in an hour for it."

Brandy's eyebrows knitted together. "An hour, that's it?"

"All I have to do is make a few edits to one of the ones I already have here," Toso indicated to the line of crafts displayed outside. "One hour is all I need."

At first, Brandy was planning to take a nap until his ship was finished, but instead he found himself being dragged around the different stalls on the market-ship by Seth.

* * *

_Krypt smiled almost sincerely at the fruit stall-keeper. "I'm sorry young lady, but if you are unable to pay up to keep your spot then you know what will happen..."_

_The seller was a young teenager, she had a pretty face and long rich red hair. "I-I-I'm sorry Kyrpt-san, I'll definately-"_

_"Or..." Krypt cut her off. He knelt down next to her and stroked her bright cherry strands. "You can sell fruit by day... and your body by night..."_

_His words had the girl trembling in a mixture of fear and horror. Krypt merely laughed at her reaction- until a sharp blade suddenly grazed his cheek. _

_"Oi, which one of you low-lives did that?" he demanded, grasping hold of his wounded face._

_A girl with long teal hair brushed away from her face, dark green eyes and wore slipper-like shoes stepped in front of him. "That'll be me, mate."_

* * *

Never did Brandy feel so awkward about holding a flower pot. And no, it was not because he thought it tainted his manliness, it just was that the flower was in the middle of snacking on a small brown mouse. Seth liked it anyway because of its exotic colours.

"Don't you have a hospital to run?" Brandy's tone came off a little rude.

Seth smiled at him warmly and munched on the toffee-apple Brandy bought her. "It's okay, June is my holiday month. I was actually planning to go to Dancho's Islands but then I saw Urchin-san bobbing on the water!"

"Look, I can deal with bastard, son-of-a-bitch, motherfucker, idiot, moron, freak, weirdo and asshole, but _urchin_ really hits the spot! So do me a favour and get it out of your head, doc!" He tried to sound threatening, all he did was make the doctor giggle like a schoolgirl. Absently, she made a few side glances to something and giggle even more to her companion's annoyance. "What is it now?"

"Oh, it's just that I never saw a stalker on the go before!"

Brandy raised his eyebrows. "Stalker?"

He earned a bob of a head. "Yeah! There like a bunch of guys following you around!"

"And why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because then it wouldn't be called stalking."

"WHAT IS WITH YOUR TWISTED SENSE OF LOGIC?" Brandy clouted Seth on the ear out of irritation. "Seriously, no wonder that old lady was worried about you coming here, you're freaking kid!"

Seth pouted at him childishly and rubbed her red ear. "That didn't mean you had to hit me."

Rolling his eyes; Brandy looked off at the other stalls, spotting a group of men approaching him with grim expressions. _...where those the 'stalkers?' They look more like hitmen to me._ He tried to act casual as they closed distance, he pretended to be interested in the gruesome multi-coloured flower with half a mouse sticking out of its petals.

He felt a stone drop in his stomach when one of them tapped his shoulder.

Looking as cool as possible, Brandy turned to them. "Yes?"

"One-Shot?"

Brandy considered his answer. "No."

"Rum One-Shot is here."

"Where?" the words escaped his lips before he could even stop himself. _...oops. My cover's gone._ He automatically ducked knowing full well that they most likely were not the most friendly of chums he was going to come across, a heavy fist just caught a flutter of his hair as he dropped.

Seth blinked in surprise as she watched the stalker tried to lurch himself onto Brandy who escaped between his legs. She saw his get up and start melting into a crowd- the mouse-eating flower subconsciously tucked under his arm.

"Hey Urchin-san, be careful with the flower!" Seth quickly dived in as well to pursue him.

The group of men were hot on her heels, regrouping with many more as some suddenly appeared through doors, under stalls and from the crowd, forming a large swarm. They quickly barked orders to those on the deck to move onto the second level under Kyrpt's orders. The mention of his name caused many to pale and flee instantly down the ladder.

Brandy and Seth tried to shuffle away with the innocent buyers and stall-keepers, but there were two men at the side of each exit watching the flow carefully. Eventually, it was just them two and the group of men with guns and cutlasses.

_What the hell did I do to deserve this kind of attention? Oh that's right: Rum._

"What do you want?" Brandy inquired.

A man in his 30s lit a cigarette. "Boss wants to use you as bait to draw in Rum One-Shot, she stole one of his ships and ruined his favourite shirt."

_Typical._

"Then let the flower-chime leave, okay?" Brandy jerked a thumb at Seth who pre-occupied with her flesh-eating flower. "She just offered me a ride here, that's all."

One scoffed. "No way, she might be a pirate as well."

It was then did Seth's eye made a very faint twitch.

"Pirate, I'm now also being accused of a pirate?" Brandy grumbled.

"What? Your sister is, why not you as well?" someone shouted from the back. "She's been seen with Yama Arron so there's no doubt about it!"

Seth began flailing her arms about and got in front of Brandy. "Urchin-san isn't a pirate! Urchin-san doesn't do bad things! He bought me a toffee-apple so he must be a good person!"

"You've got weak sense of logic, doc! So just stay behind me!" Brandy shouted. "And for the rest of you, just get lost! I'm not a pirate and I'm not planning to be one, damn it!"

One of the men near the front sighed heavily. "Oh well, chit-chat is over, kid." Without warning he fired his gun at Brandy who managed to side-step quickly enough for the bullet to splinter the main-mast instead. This triggered the battle to start on and everyone charged at the two 18-year-old targets.

Brandy's eyes narrowed and he untied his long sash. "Have it your way." Seth watched him in curiosity as the material dropped to the floor, and Brandy began to pull down his puffy trousers along with it.

"WAIT!" Despite Seth's lanky appearance, she threw him onto the floor away from danger. "You're only allowed to take off your clothes if you're getting changed or taking a bath!"

The impact of her pushing Brandy down had created a small crater on the planks beneath him. "My god, how did you do that?" He had to quickly trip up a pike-wielder before he ended up with holes on his stomach. Seth made a dainty skip around two young men who tried to catch her, their heads crashed into each other whilst doing so.

Brandy felt a vein throb on his head, more and more kept piling themselves on top of him and he had to continuously kick them all off. "Tch. I didn't want to end up with ripped trousers again but these guys aren't giving me a damn chance!" Brandy aimed his foot towards the charging men- with a sharp, thin blade sticking out of his leg. It whistled a short tune as Brandy manoeuvred round his opponents swiftly, giving them passing cuts on their limbs as he passed. "Thanks for giving me a hole in my clothes." He muttered as the blade slipped back inside his leg.

Seth applauded. "Wow, so you can make stuff pop out of your leg?"

"It's kind of built like that..." Brandy looked down at his limb.

"Awesome!" Seth looked completely awed. "What else can it do?"

Behind her, four dark-skinned grunts had a net ready to throw. "This!" Brandy raised one foot at their direction, a nozzle emerged from the sole and fired a projectile which zoomed passed Seth's hand and exploded at the enemy. He unfortunately should have remembered the power of the mini-rocket since it then created a large after-impact which propelled both Seth and Brandy onto the railings. Wood splinters was sprayed at them along with parts of the outer furniture of the ship.

When the smoke cleared, Brandy heard something groan loudly like a bellowing whale. It was the main mast which had been half destroyed from Brandy's attack, he tried to get up and escape from the danger area but one of his arms was trapped under a u-shape piece of wood that lodged itself against the balustrade.

"That doesn't look good," he muttered to himself and desperately began to yank his arm out.

Seth saw his problem and was trying to find out how to remove the wood without breaking Brandy's arm. "This could be a problem, Urchin-san."

"I noticed!" he said between gritted teeth.

A sudden, sharp snap filled the noise-polluted air. The mast began to fall towards Brandy.

Seth began to work even faster and Brandy struggled for all it was worth.

"Get out of here Monroe, you'll get crushed!" he shouted as the huge tower began to cast a dark grey shadow over him. "Monroe!"

At the very last second, Seth whipped her head round to see the falling beast crash on top of her.

* * *

_During the warm summer evening, the two One-Shot siblings were having some shaved ice on the patio._

_"Rum, why _do _you want to become Pirate King?" Brandy asked._

_"Because I want to become rich, famous and powerful!" It was almost as if Rum prepared the answer for the question._

_Brandy shook his head. "Moron, Gin and Sherry are both in the Marines, are you planning to fight them when you go pirate-crazy?"_

_"But Gin used to _be_ a pirate!"_

_"He used to be a pirate _slave_! How many times do I have to remind you?"_

_They were only nine years old, Brandy was not actually that worried then about his sister's dreams._

* * *

When the spitting smoke finally cleared, Brandy was saying something which in pig latin would have been 'othermay uckingfay ordlay ofay hristcay...'

Seth was standing over him, a bright and happy grin still pinned onto her face, and a 416lbs (189.1 kg) piece of wood on her back. Not a single muscle on her body was trembling under the extremely burdening weight, only her feet had dug into the surface from the sudden rush of weight.

"Is Urchin-san okay?" she asked.

"Am I okay? Is your _spine_ okay?" he asked back.

"Don't worry!" she chirped, placing both hands on the mast and launched it over her head. "I told you I was strong!" She once again flexed her non-visible muscle. "After all, I ate the Riki Riki no Mi!" (Riki- strength)

Brandy almost laughed. "No shit Sherlock, you threw a ship mast like it was a stick."

Once again, they were slowly being surrounded by Kyrpt's remaining men. They were some what puzzled why they saw their mast being casted into the ocean like a dead fish but they still had orders to follow. Seth easily freed Brandy's arm from the railings and stood next to him as they were being quickly cornered.

"Yosh! Time to quickly take them on!" she said eagerly, flexing one arm and using the other to pick up her flower pot. "Ready Urchi-" She was caught by her top and dragged towards the other side of the deck. "Ah! Why are we running away?"

"Because we're going to get into some real hellish trouble, that's why!" Brandy answered, ducking under a few tables. "Okay, so go back to your ship and..." he stopped dead at his tracks when reaching the point directly over the place the Monroe Hospital was left.

Seth's eyes widened in shock horror at her home. Her _burning_ home.

The sound of steady footsteps filled the deadly silence. "Now without your ship, you can't escape here." Krypt was standing just two meters away from the two, dressed in a expensive two-piece suit and had his neat blond hair brushed to one side. "I hope I can get some credit now for catching some small-time pirates."

"You bastard..." Brandy's eyes glinted. "You haven't even got any proof!"

"You're related to Rum One-Shot who is acquainted to Yama, that's all the proof I need."

Seth's mouth opened to form words, but came out mutely. The bannister she was holding onto cracked ever so gently under her grasp, it was the warning sound of a hazardous event.

_If she blows it, I'm not sure what's going to be left surviving here. I need to think up something fast!_

"I know it won't be the same Monroe... but after I find Rum, I'll give you my ship," Brandy hastily whispered. "So try and be stro-"

"REALLY?" Seth looked almost ready to tackle Brandy to the floor by a death-hug, her eyes were as bright to the extent of twinkling. "You'd really do that, Urchin-san?"

Brandy was dumbfounded. "Hey, you're not mad about your ship?"

She looked offended by the remark. "Do I seem like a kid?" Seth placed both hands on her hips. "Besides, I still the memories of working there with my parents, that's more important than the ship!" Unlike her usual grins, she gave him a more mature and strong smiles which took him by surprise completely.

Eventually, Brandy felt himself smirking. "Well, if you say so." The blade hidden in his leg shot out again and deflected a bullet from Krypt's gun. "Change of plans, we're heading to the old man's place." He fired another projectile at the remaining pursuers and stormed forward, with Seth following him promptly. The impact of the explosion once again impelled them overboard and onto the quay, Brandy (was stupid enough to have) landed on both his feet, sending a sharp pain through both legs.

Seth watched in mild amusement as Brandy suddenly dropped onto the floor and squirming from the stinging sensation.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I _look_ okay to you?" Brandy screamed. "This canes like a mother!"

Toso opened his window fully and curved his body out of the sill. "Boy, I've finished your ship if you want it."

Painfully; Brandy got to his feet and gingerly took a few cautious steps to check he could still walk properly. "That'll be great." He was directed to the last ship at the end of the floating quay, its streamlined body had the name _Titanic_ painted at one side, it was adorned by ropes, snow-white sail and masts. It unfortunately just had one _little_ problem. "THAT'S WAY TOO BIG!" Brandy had to crane his neck to see the lowest window."WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING DURING THE PAST HOUR?"

Toso took a mouthful of luke-warm coffee. "What's wrong? You said you wanted a ship which can fit in some company..."

"I COULD FIT AN ARMY IN THERE!"

"Which can hold against a bit of turbulence..."

"MORE LIKE A WHOLE FUCKING HURRICANE!"

"And is quite speedy."

"AGAINST WHAT, A SNAIL?" Brandy jerked his head around to find his doctor. "Hey Monroe, tell this geezer that he's serving the wrong stuff to the wrong customer will you? He's not listening to a word I'm say-"

Seth stood in front of the ship with both her arms thrown back, as if ready to embrace it into a crushing hug. "Amazing! I can't believe our ship this big!"

"OI, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME EITHER!" Brandy began mumbling a chain of curses when he saw Krypt's men making their descent. "Well, this is going to have to do. Monroe, we're getting out of here!"

The two climbed aboard and readied their departure, as the _Titantic_ began to move surprisingly quickly away from the jetty, men were trying to desperately slow it down by throwing their cutlasses at it- all to have proven useless.

Seth began to wave at the burning hospital, she had her back turned to Brandy so he was unable to see the tears overspilling from her eyes. "Good-bye father! Good-bye mother! I promise to be a great doctor!" The little shrine she made at her parent's death sunk deeply into the bottom of the ocean, along with the very ship they were killed in.

* * *

**Ho-oly cow, that's one long first chapter... I hope I didn't bore you to death... or fill it with silly grammatical errors... Do you like the supposed first-mate, peeps? I thought them two would be funny together and tried it out. I can't guarantee every meeting with each OC will be this long... most likely reason is because this chapter just slaved. Really.**

**Anyhow, sorry Cocoasit if I screwed Seth over in anyway. Writing Submit OC fics are surprisingly hard... so my bad... any guesses who's coming next?**

**And so~ positions required!**

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_**_  
Sniper  
Chef- _**_taken by Bearded Zeus_**_  
Doctor- _**_taken by Cocoasit_**_  
Archaeologist-_**_ taken by shadowjohn 101_**_  
Shipwright  
Musician/Entertainer_**

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines- _**_(already have 1 vice-admiral)_**_  
Enemy Crew  
Ally Crew  
_****Shichibukai **_(has to be a very good OC... three spaces already been taken)_

**Please see Chapter 1 for the OC form!**


	3. Pursuit II: Absent Swordsman

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit II: Absent Swordsman

Dirty white seagulls came down cautiously to peck the bread crumbs Seth flicked at them. She watched them with interest, munching on a sandwich and washing it down with cool milk. It was a warm and peaceful morning.

"MONROE!"

Then Brandy woke up.

"Breakfast?" Seth held up a spare porcelain plate with another sandwich already made. "I made you cheese and ham."

Instead, a plaque was thrown at her face in response. "I woke up this morning with _that_ on my door, did you know how freaked I was?"

Seth pouted at him and placed the plaque on her lap. "I only wanted to start organising what this place will look like when I turn it into a hospital."

"Even so, why was my room the one you choose for a _blood bank_? What's with that subtle message?"

After another twenty minutes of yelling from Brandy, the two were munching on their cheese and ham sandwiches, casting occasional pinches from their bread at the hungry seagulls. With her mouth still full, Seth asked Brandy, "Say Urchin-san, can I ask you something?"

Brandy gave her a side-ward glance. "Sure."

"...why do you have only one leg?"

* * *

A quick and simple way to earn money was to catch a bounty. After Seth fed the seagulls all the food that Toso stocked them up with in the pantry, the two ended up stopping at the next island so they could resupply the ship.

"Can't you just go to some old man and offer him a new hip replacement or something?" Brandy asked half-heartily.

Seth rubbed the back of her neck. "Toso only packed me a first-aid kit. And the rest of my stuff got burnt."

"My bad," Brandy mumbled apologetically before drawing his eyes towards the pinned up WANTED posters on the signboard. "We want someone around the 100,000 beri zone, Sherry always said that I should be able to take on someone at that level without too much problem."

With a cheerful smile, Seth tore off one of the posters and brandished it at her companion's face. "Can we take him on?" It showed a picture of a man in his early twenties; he had long silver-grey hair and wore a wide-rimmed black hat which shaded his dazed face. In bold black letters, it read:

**WANTED  
****Dead or Alive  
Sleeping Curse Wake Waltz  
34,000,000 beri**

Brandy clouted her on the ear. "Did you hear what I just said? I said about 100,000 beri! How can a doctor and a guy with prosthetic legs take on some big-shot like that?"

"But I have the Riki Riki no Mi, remember?" Seth said confidently, rubbing her sore ear. "And as long as we get Urchin-san's leg fixed up swiftly swiftly then we definitely have what it takes, right?"

Currently, Brandy was being supported by a make-shift crutch made messily by some spare wooden planks in a storage area. He gingerly felt for his prosthetic leg that was inside a drawstring bag he slung over his shoulder. "Can't you see that these little pieces of crap break easily? It took just one fall from that market-ship to completely shitify my right leg, it's a miracle my left leg didn't blow over as well!"

Seth pretended to look angry. _"_You never know until you try, Urchin-san."

The teal-haired 18-year-old let out a long sigh. "Just go and get us something to eat, _I'll_ find us a bounty." He watched the tangled mass of sandy hair shimmer away before plopping heavily on an empty seat, he opened his bag and took another inspection at the defective leg. "It's all your fault you know, trashy piece of junk."

He spotted at the corner of his eye a 13-year-old skinny boy with starch white hair peering at his direction behind a chair.

"Got a problem with me, kid?" Brandy snapped. Dealing with someone with a mentality of a child was enough for him, the real deal would completely darken his day.

The boy shyly smiled and drew his feet together. "So sorry Mister! I just never saw a handicapped person up close..." He was clothed in a black and white striped shirt with overly long sleeves which he used to hide his face.

"If that's it then bugger off," he waved in a brisk manner. "'Mister' here has to find work, got it?" _Why is a kid like you even hanging around here?_

"Oh I'm sorry, Mister," the boy batted an innocent yellow eye at him, the other hidden behind a white medical eye-patch. "Are you going for Mr. Sleeping Curse?" He pointed to the poster which was ripped off the board and placed on the table..

Brandy scowled. "Yeah right."

"Ah, being a bounty hunter must be awesome, right sir? I'm not very good right now but I'm working hard!" the white-haired youngster began making crude attempts of kicks and punches, edging closer and closer to Brandy at every sluggish move. "Right punch! Left kick! Upper-cut..._Quick attack._" In an instant; his babyish yellow eye had a mad gleam and the corners of his lips curled into a crooked smile. Along with it, his footwork was suddenly aligned gracefully and a killer punch was aiming right towards Brandy's skull.

In the short moment of time, Brandy twisted his body left as the boy's small fist narrowly missed its target and paused right in front of the table. Deadly silence seeped between the two, and the poster of the Sleeping Curse blew off the wooden surface and fluttered to the floor.

"Wh-What the fu-!" Brandy attempted shooting to his feet, forgetting he only had one leg and so fell to one side. _How the blue hell did the kid move like that?_

"W-Wow Mister, you can move fast!" the boy looked awed, clapping his hands and his cheeks glowing a ruddy red. "With that sort of speed, I'm sure you can take on Mr. Sleeping Curse!" No one else seemed to have saw the flash of the deadly attack which was preformed by the supposed innocent child.

_I must imagined it... _He tried to shake off the cold prickling sensation which pierced his skin.

The boy smiled bashfully. "Ah! I forgot to tell you! My name is Tock, Mister. What's yours?"

"Brandy." _As if a kid could do that..._

"Cool! I wish my Mum gave me a name like that! Do you have someone in your family named after gin? It was her favourite!"

Brandy rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I do." _Because for a moment then..._

Tock was dazzled just by the small fact, flapping his long sleeves like a bird with wings. "I better go tell my rabbit KamiMaki all about it! He'll be amazed, Mister." From behind him, he picked up a folded black waistcoat, miraculously pulling out an extremely large pocket-watch from the small pocket. "In fact, I need to feed Kami-chan before he gets too hungry..." Tock gave Brandy a bashful wave and began hopping away. "Bye bye Mr. Brandy! Good luck with catching Mr. Sleeping Curse!"

_...I thought he was really going to kill me._

"UWOO!"

Brandy froze, hearing his doctor cheer so energetically. "M-Monroe...?"

"Is it true?" she almost pounced on him if it was not for the two plates of food she was holding. "Is it true we're going after the Sleeping Curse after all?"

There was a shake of a head. "N-No, of course not!" Brandy confirmed. "We can no way even _find_ that kind of-"

"YAY!" Seth tossed the porcelain dishes into the air and began dancing childishly around the pub, despite the strange looks being pointed at her. "I knew Urchin-san had it in him! We're gonna be famous and capture a pirate!"

"OI! ARE YOU NOT LISTENING AGAIN?"

* * *

The conversation had only been going on for ten minutes but Commander Chorley was already growing tired of Krypt. Two One-Shot siblings had so apparently been causing problems and large-scale damages onto his 'precious' market-ship and was demanding for a bounty to be put on their heads so they can be punished for their actions.

"Allister," Chorley said coldly. "I have no time to be dealing with your petty business, or have you forgot the reason why you have been given such a well-paid employment?"

On the other line of the Den Den Mushi, Krypt was frustratingly running a hand over his scar. "I'd like to see you try put me out of business," he said arrogantly. "Do that and let's see what Yasu will say."

He did not need to be face-to-face with Chorley to see the slight reaction he inflicted on the emotionless mask of the rose-eyed man.

"You are treading dangerous waters to be threatening me, Allister," Chorley's voice was dangerously soft.

"I-I know you're good at covering up your tracks, _Abby_," Krypt knew well enough what Abbott Chorley was capable of, but he had an unbreakable shield. "But you absolutely suck at lying at Yasu's face an-"

Chorley deeply distressed his Den Den Mushi by slamming down the receiver.

"Dearie me Abbott-kun, I should report you for snail abuse if you keep this up," a gentle yet mocking voice lightly filled the atmosphere.

Without even turning around to meet the face of his intruder, Chorley picked up a few files and scanned through them. "I am not in the mood, One-Shot."

A pretty smile tweaked on Sherry One-Shot's heart-shaped face. "My apologies Abbott-kun, I forgot that under your expressionless mask even you become easily touchy." The sound of high heels clicked against the wooden floor, disappearing through the door. "Have fun with Kyrpt's work!"

When everything was once again soundless, Chorley scribbled down on a notepad the list of names Krypt wanted captured.

_"Yama" Arron  
Dr. Seth Monroe  
Rum One-Shot  
Urchin One-Shot_

He paused. _...Urchin?_

* * *

_Yachoo!_

Brandy wiped his sniffling nose with the back of his hand and grimaced at the result of his sneeze.

"Is a pretty girl talking about you, Urchin-san?" Seth asked curiously, snacking on some watermelon.

"You shouldn't believe in stupid things like that," Brandy remarked. "Or you'll end up like Rum."

Seth inclined her head thoughtfully. "Ah, so Urchin-san is the type of person who would say at seven years old: 'I know that Santa Clause doesn't exist!'"

"Of course Santa Clause exists!"

A rare moment occurred where Seth actually was reduced speechless.

In impeccable timing; a dark-skinned woman flourished out of the door holding up Brandy's newly fixed leg like an invaluable jewel. She winked at Brandy and fixed it in place at his joint. "Here you go, all good as new!"

"Speaking of new, I'm sure I never made that sort of scratch on my leg," Brandy pointed to a marking on his ankle, but if he squinted at it the carves formed a shape of an intracate star. "Hey, what's that for?"

The woman winked again. "Name's Starbright sweetie, I've got a habit of leaving my name behind on my works."

"_My_ leg."

"Half my parts are in it, it's _ours_ now."

Brandy screwed his face up. "...you want to share my freaking leg?"

Next to him; Seth erupted from laughter, she kicked her legs into the air and clutched her sides. She only stopped when half the remaining watermelon was thrown at her. The next twenty minutes went on painfully as Brandy's leg was tightly connected and checked for accurate reaction in movement. Finally; with satisfaction he took off his black slipper and unfolded the piece of paper containing notes of cash.

"Thanks for the fix, and keep the change." He and Seth descended from the steep cobbled pathway down a hill, the doctor excitedly was hopping down each step in front, humming a nursery rhyme softly. "Oi, why do you want to catch Sleeping Curse so much?" Brandy abruptly asked, still testing his fixed leg. "You got a thing against him?"

"Nope!" Seth chirped. "Nothing at all!"

"Then why did you pick him?"

Seth smiled proudly and waved a skinny arm towards the distant village. "Because I saw him walk that way earlier on!"

More spercifically; she was pointing to a stack of small buildings scattered near a river. The sweet smell of oranges increased as the two closed distance with the village, most likely their main source of trade had earned them the name Renge Town. They decided to discretely search for their target by sweeping through the roads and asking for just a few notable features of Sleeping Curse. Surprisingly, everyone had managed to answer the questions with great detail.

A young freckled girl jerked a thumb a collapsed roof. "He was carrying a huge sword with him, it was a little scary but he used to it to 'get rid of' a really mean Marines sailor." The fact a girl who probably had not even reached the age of ten used bunny quotation marks at the words 'get rid of' was slightly concerning.

"Where's he now?" Brandy coughed.

"Having tea," she waved at a small monochrome-coloured cafe. "Well, he sort of fell asleep some time ago."

It was quite unbelievable how easy they found the bounty, either he was an utter arrogant moron or did not even know he even had one. One noticeable thing they saw was the abnormally long, double-edged worse which was propped against the table, an ordinary bandaged one was strapped to his waist. The pirate himself had silver-grey hair tied in a ponytail, with bangs untidily shading his right eye, though he was sitting down it was easy to spot that he was a tall gentleman and quite muscular under his knee-length black coat, trousers and muddy shirt.

"...direct match," Brandy said, comparing the person with the poster. "Is this guy an idiot or what?"

Seth laughed. "Well, we found him! Now we can claim our money!"

The two approached his table and woke him up with a shake on the shoulder.

"You're Wake Waltz, right?" Brandy checked the poster once more.

Heavy-lidded eyes glanced up to meet Brandy's dark green orbs. "...I can't remember."

A pregnant pause grew between the three.

"Are you trying to play with me here?" Brandy felt a vein throbbing on his head. "What kind of person doesn't remember his own name?"

The supposed Wake Waltz yawned. "I woke up some time ago and I forgot who I was and why I was there... I'm still trying to figure it out." He paused. "Oh, and I lost my hat as well..."

Brandy's eyebrow twitched. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but for once I've found someone who probably can make Rum look like a fucking prodigy." He then slammed his hand on the table and flapped the poster in his face. "YOU'RE A WANTED PIRATE WITH FUCKING 34,000,000 BERI ON YOUR FUCKING DAMN SKULL, SO DROP YOUR TEA AND MOVE YOUR ASS!"

Everyone in the entire cafe was silent, all pairs of eyes stabbing at Brandy.

"Urchin-san's an idiot~" Seth sang behind him.

"Shut up, doc."

Wake's face was blank as ever. "If I'm a bounty... you're here to take me to the Marines..."

"Yeah."

"...then I have to run away...?"

"Too late no-" Brandy was cut off when the table was abruptly flipped over and tackled him to the floor. Wake rushed past with the teacup in one hand and his titantic sword in the other. "Damn it! Monroe go after him!"

Wake gracefully broke through the cafe window and saw two boys showing off to their older brother that they fished a hat out of the river. The swordsman snatched the wide-brimmed black hat off their podgy fingers, pressing it onto his head as he sprinted.

* * *

A clean-shaven Marine with straw-blond hair was admiring the new uniform he was given from his promotion.

"Doesn't things look glorious for my first day as a Lieutenant, Miyazaki?"

The Ensign bobbed his head. "Of course, sir."

"I'd love to hear them all call me Lieutenant Zene Right, it sounds so prefect, right Miyazaki?"

"Right, sir."

Instantly, Right glared. "Miyazaki, I thought we just established I now outrank you so you must call me _Lieutenant_ Right from now on."

Miyzaki frowned. "But you just asked me if you were right sir."

"Yes, I know I am Right, dimwit!" Right retorted. "I just asked you to address me fully, right Miyazaki?"

"Right si-"

"You're doing it again!"

Miyzaki resisted to curl his lip. "...Of course, sir."

"Good, good."

There was a knock on the door and a skinny looking sailor poked his head through the door. "Lieutenant Right sir, we have news that there is a bounty in Renge Town."

Right grinned. "Today really is a glorious day for me, isn't that right Miyzaki?"

"Ri-"

"Miyzaki."

"...of course, sir."

* * *

"Oi! Wait up!" Brandy jumped onto the crates Wake was climbing nimbly. He threw his ankle into the air and a rope dart shot out of its compartment, wrapping itself round Wake's arm and torso. "Monroe, now!"

Automatically from his voice; she traced Brandy's steps up the crumbling path and flew over him, both her legs stretching out into a full swing attack. Wake, who was clearly more stronger and heavier than Brandy, dove away from Seth's wrathful drive and pulled Brany along with him, forcing him directly under the target spot. Seth's eyes widened at the scenario, jerking her leg to the side before she crashed into him, creating an explosion of wooden splinters and rubble to spray at anyone who stood an eight metre radius. Impact also tore the quay beneath them apart, Brandy fell through with his rope dart slipping from Wake's body and disappeared into the deep blue hell.

Seth watched him descend and almost wailed. "Someone help please!" she flapped her arms about in slight panic. "Despite he's an urchin, he actually can't swim!"

By then Wake had reached a line of small fishing boats, he took hold of some oars and was all set and ready to leave. Then his ears picked up the hysterical cry of help being emitted by the young dark-eyed girl.

"I'm serious! Urchin-san is going to drown!"

Wake stopped and studied the frenzy behind him, then at the open ocean free from Marine ships. Letting out a weary sigh; Wake jumped back onto the jetty and sped over towards Seth, he tossed his hat to one side and jumped into the salty water which sucked him in quickly. He kicked his legs deeper, feeling his skin growing colder and his sight darkening. Not far away; a ghostly white body was sinking lifelessly with precious bubbles of air escaped his unmoving lips, Wake grasped hold of Brandy's arm firmly and began rising in a speedy manner. Just as his lungs began to burn, the two erupted to the surface.

Still spitting and gasping; Brandy was dragged to the broken dock then thrown over to safety.

"He's alive!" Seth announced to no one in particular.

Wake wordlessly pulled himself up as well, only to find a dozen guns pointed at his head by Marine soldiers.

Their leader who stood behind them let out a short cough. "Wake Waltz; I, Lieutenant Right am placing you under arrest." He motioned to his men to yank the pirate to his feet and chain him. "After ten long years looks like your freedom is finally all lost."

Wake showed no panic as shackles were wrapped tightly around his wrists, he instead casually looked over his shoulder and asked Seth, "...Did you see where I threw my hat?"

A vein throbbed on Right's temple, and he punched Wake's nose with a satisfying spurt of blood. "You truly are an idiot. I heard you once even forgot who you were for a whole week, stupid swordsman." He snapped his fingers, and began marchinga away with his men and Wake following.

"Where you taking him?" Seth asked. "He just saved a life!"

"One life can't make up for the countless innocent victims he slaughtered," Right argued. "Not that he'll even remember his sins."

With a childish pout; Seth turned to Brandy who had not rose from the floor. "Urchin-san, he just saved your life so you've got to say something about this!"

Brandy regained composure and swept his wet hair away from his face. "Leave him alone Monroe, you'll only get in trouble with the Marines." He then almost gutted in the stomach. "Monroe, calm down!"

"I can't calm down, he just saved someone when he could've escaped!" she whined.

Right ignored the two and left with his men.

"Listen Monroe!" Brandy took hold of her wrist, hissing at her face. "We're going to Starbright's, and I'll let you on a plan..."

* * *

The Sea Train had all its passengers boarded and was ready to glide into the ocean. The engine started and it began to gasp and tremble, slowly leaving the station and approaching the cleared beach. As it began to pick up velocity, a figure threw itself in front of the train. And as if it just smacked against a solid barrier, the train shuddered and was brought to a halt.

"What the hell was that?" one of the workers of the train tipped his body out of the window. "Did a _person_ just stop the train?"

There were in fact, two people standing in front of locomotor, both wore matching colourful outifts and star-shaped masks.

Miyzaki spotted the two and was appalled at their sense in fashion. "Who the hell are they?"

"Ha! You would like to know who we are?" the slightly smaller figure shouted out in a bragging tone, her mask was a fiercely-bright red. "Should we tell them, Houshi Blue?"

"How could you not recognise such amazing people like us, Houshi Red?" the other folded his arms proudly, his identically shaped mask was a deep blue. "For we are..."

The masked duo both entered a series of hand motions before making the shape of a star with their arms. "The Houshi Twins, saviors of pirates and enemies of Marines!" _(Houshi- Star)_

Groaning from impact, Right stumbled out of the door and glowered at the pair. "Men, after them!" Sailor divisions can streaming out each side of the train, with swords and guns at the ready. They began advancing relentlessly at both Houshi Red and Blue, who departed in opposite directions dodging and jumping over flying bullets.

Houshi Red bared her fist at the ready and threw herself at a group of soldiers. "Take this! Sling Star!" She created a large crater beneath her clenched hand, forcing the opponents around her to fly from shocking impact.

Mean whilst; Houshi Blue was being surrounded by more than two dozen swordsmen, he mumbled a curse and lifted his leg into the air. "Sharp Star!" A carbon blade slipped out of his outstretched limb and he began to pivot, slicing anyone who dared to get close.

The two fought back viciously against the increasing numbers of Marine sailors, Right watched them in extreme irritation and pulled out a Burn Bazooka from his cabin, aiming right for Houshi Blue. His twin spotted the deadly weapon and called out, "Houshi Blue! Attention!"

Right fired and large ball of flame ascended to Houshi Blue, only missing him by a few inches and exploded under the target's feet. The compartment roof beneath him was reduced to a few short planks of wood, along with a dark grey trail of smoke.

"Which pirate was being kept in that cabin?" he demanded.

A Petty Officer quickly scanned a few sheets of paper. "W-Wake Waltz, sir."

"...shit." Right instantly began growing frantic. "You four secure that cabin, Ensign Miyazaki make sure Sleeping Curse's chains are still intact!"

Taking a large gulp, Ensign Miyazaki crept through the door to take an inspection. The four sailors outside waited grimly at the pounding silence, which quickly turned into a panicking shriek.

Right felt sweat trickle down his neck. "Wake Waltz is free! Units 2 and 3, your new objective is to restrain him!"

Another officer behind him shouted "He hasn't got his swords, we'll be alright!"

"You mean these?" in outstanding timing; Houshi Red appeared out of a door with two swords scooped in her arms. "Don't worry Seppuku-dono! Houshi Red shall save you!"

_Who the fuck is 'Seppuku-dono?'_ every person excluding Wake and Houshi Red screamed the thought through their head.

She used her insane strength to propell the weapons at the roofless cabin, scraping past Houshi Blue by a hair's breadth- who was dangling on the edge. The sound of clinking chains and a sword leaving its scabbard filled the tensed atmosphere.

"Sonatakeishiki: Jukansho _(Sonata Form: Recurring_)..." slashes of compressed air whipped out of the cabin breaking it into pieces, along with many close-by swords and guns, the force of it seemed as if there was at least tens of swords being used at once. There was a flash of his black coat and at least a dozen more men found themselves with cuts on their bodies.

Right's legs almost buckled up. He failed to capture Wake Waltz.

"Houshi Blue, do you think it's finally time?" Houshi Red called out.

Her twin nodded. "Let's do it." He then turned to Wake and waved. "We need you to help us get all the Marines back in their cabins! Trust us on this one!"

Giving it only a moment's pause, Wake agreed silently with a nod. He flipped his sword, Enigma over on its blunt side and batted people right back through the doors with simple swings. Houshi Blue went through a various of footwork with his leg-blade to press the sailors backwards. When the last of them was kicked in, all the doors were slammed shut and Houshi Blue neatly cut off the line between the pirates' cabins and the Marines'.

"Houshi Red, we're done!"

The female twin grasped hold of the front of the train once more and began swinging it into the air, getting faster and faster.** "Shooting..."** She let the nose slip from her fingers and it spun into the sky like a demented snake. She next brought out her arm and sent Houshi Blue soaring as well with a clean stroke.

He aimed his foot at the train and a nozzle sprouted from his sole. **"...Star!"** A projectile came out in a burst, blossoming into a brilliant firework when it touched the first compartment.

* * *

The pirates took turns thanking the Houshi Twins heartily, promising them free drinks or passages whenever they needed one. Wake waited patiently for them all to go before finally approaching them.

"Thank-you," he said simply, though tone was very much toneless.

Houshi Red was gleeful. "No problem! We're all pirates after all!"

However, Houshi Blue was getting agitated. "We should leave, or more might come."

He was given a nod in response. "Okay then, start without me. I'll only be a minute." She did not need to see under the mask to know he was scowling but left anyway. "By the way Seppuku-dono, what are you going to do now?"

Wake shrugged. "Look for my hat." He then glanced at the star-masked person carefully. "...is there a way I can repay your debt?"

Houshi Red clapped her hands. "You'd really do that? Well, may I ask for you to just help out those with the mark of Houshi." She tugged on her mask. "Anyone with the sign is one of us, and if you ever see one in trouble, the Houshi family will be happy to know you gave them a hand."

The silver-haired swordsman gave a short bow. "Of course."

* * *

For the umpteenth time; Brandy smacked his head against his ship's mast. "I can't believe we did all this crap all day and haven't earned a single beri."

He received a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry Urchin-san, we can do some fishing or eat some birds for the while." Standing in front of the ship was a silver-haired man wearing a black coat. "We may haven't earn any money, but we possibly may have gained something else instead."

Brandy went to see who Seth was waving to and immediately grimaced. "He's a pirate Monroe, we'll get labelled as well if anyone catches us with this guy."

"But he looks as if he wants to say something," Seth fussed, lowering herself onto the docks. "Come on Urchin-san, hear him out at least."

Reluctantly, he descended and joined the two, praying there were not any Marines about. "What do you want?" he asked Wake.

Wake stared off into the distance. "...I remember."

If Brandy was eating whilst listening to those words, he would be choking by now. "Wh-What do you remember?"

"...the second half of the Grand Line is where the legendary treasure One Piece and Rio Poneglyph is kept," Wake explained slowly. "The place is called the New World and is a famous place for those who wishes to become Pirate King to go to, your sister should be there."

Brandy blinked several times. "How do you know about Rum?"

Wake stared off into the distance again. "...I remember."

"WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT, IT'S FREAKING WEIRD!"

"...she and I met each other a week ago."

"YOU FORGOT YOUR OWN NAME BUT CAN REMEMBER SOMETHING WHICH HAPPENED SEVEN DAYS AGO?"

Seth took over the conversation. "You can take us the New World, right?"

Before Wake could answer, Brandy took one step forward. "Why are you suddenly helping us?"

Wake stared off into the distance again. "...I remember."

"SERIOUS STOP THAT! IT'S FUCKING SCARY!"

A bony finger pointed at Brandy's leg. "When you tried to captured me... I saw a star on your ankle." He then, very almost smiled. "I was saved today by your family; Houshi Red and Blue. To repay the debt I decided to help you." Wake then stifled a yawn. "I guessed you were looking for your sister... because she told me unlike her you had no interest in adventures, yet is far away from home."

Seth gave him a thumbs up. "Wow, Seppuku-dono sure is smar-"

A hand was clamped over her mouth with brain waves prodding at her reading, _Are you an idiot? If you call him 'Seppuku-dono' he'll know that those Houshi Twins are-_

Wake rubbed his eyes sleepily. "...I...I know the way to the New World...I've been there once." He glanced at Brandy with heavy-lidded eyes. "Would you like me to show you?" He stuck out his hand, awaiting a response.

Very noticeably; Seth was giving Brandy puppy-eyes and brain waves reading _Let Seppuku-dono in~_ He let out a sigh and shook the hand. "Fine, show us then." He then wrinkled his nose. "And when was the last time you took a shower?" Wake opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interjected. "You know, I don't want to know." Wake's light-brown shirt never looked naturally brown in the first place.

A seagull flew by with a wide-brimmed black hat on its head, it fell off after a gust of wind blew harshly. The hat landed primly on Wake's head, he briefly touched the fine material and got onto the ship.

* * *

Krypt was eager to see the newest batch of bounties up on the walls, his eyes scanned for the two One-Shot siblings and a certain doctor. All he found was a pair of fraternal twins in horribly bright clothes and star shaped masks.

**WANTED  
****Dead or Alive  
Gemini Houshi Red  
900,000 beri**

******WANTED  
****Dead or Alive  
Gemini Houshi Blue  
900,000 beri**  


"Get me a Den Den Mushi, I'm calling Abbott again!"

* * *

**Thanks for all your review people, it really does boost confidence so keep it up please!**

**By the way, next character introduced is lucky and will be in a two chapter arc this time~ (I feel like I need to slow down with the characters...) Unlike hypo Seth and Brandy, I thought a calm sort of dude was needed. Wake was fun to write, I'm sorry Artemst and Happy2Bme if I screwed up your characters in anyway.**

**Also, if you're confused about why I chose one of Wake's attacks to be called randomly Sonata Form: Recurring, just wait until some more and you'll hopefully understand more about his attack names.**

**And so~ positions required!**

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa_**_  
Chef- _**_taken by Bearded Zeus_**_  
Doctor- _**_taken by Cocoasit_**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _**_  
Musician/Entertainer_**

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines- _**_(already have 1 vice-admiral)_**_  
Enemy Crew  
Ally Crew_**_- __(have a few of these as well)_**_  
_****Shichibukai **_(has to be a very good OC... three spaces already been taken)_

**Please see Chapter 1 for the OC form!**


	4. Pursuit III: Macabre Puppeteer

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit III: Macabre Puppeteer

Once again; the morning came with blessed sunshine and warmth. The night suffered an icy cold shower of rain, but cleared up before dawn casted a carpet of gold across the ocean surface. Seth woke up early and went to see the remaining scraps of food left in the galley, she remembered leaving the last two loaves of bread inside a cupboard along with the last of the butter and jam.

As she padded round the ship, she had a quick read through the newspaper Brandy finished, headlines told news of the recent escape of Captain Marie Foster of the Golden Blood pirates, two men were found brutally murdered on the tranquil Marchpoint Island and "Red Demon" Tassels apparently tied in a swordplay with Vice Admiral Sabar Green.

For some odd reason, the kitchen was _completely_ emptied of all edible objects. Urchin-san was not going to be a happy Echinoidea when he woke up to the news, Seth could tell. In fact, she heard him just ten minutes later from cabins.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

As always, he greeted early morning with high-spirits, fortitude and zeal.

But then another ten minutes later, Seth was told that it was their sword-wielding guide who felt a little peckish last night. It was not really the best time to also admit that even though he knew his way round in the New World, he had forgotten _how_ to get there.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU _AND_ THROW YOU OVERBOARD!"

Too bad he was able to swim.

* * *

**3 hours later**

**

* * *

**

Instead of regaining conciousness slowly, Seth's eyes flickered open instantly, sober and aware of her surroundings. A cool -but not to the extent of shivering- square room with half of it constructed into a cell that reached from the ceiling to the floor. She placed one hand on the bars and realised both her wrists were locked together, despite their fragile appearance she was not able to even dent it. Seth then scrambled to her feet and rapped her knuckles against the walls, testing its density and seeing whether she'd be able to break it.

At the corner of the dark cell, a mature woman's voice rang in Seth's ears. "Our shackles and cage are both made of sea-stone, meaning Devil Fruit users will not be able to use their abilities with them." She glanced up at Seth with studious brown eyes. "You _are_ a fruit user, are you not?" Her tone seemed rather choppy, yet held a distinctive elegant accent to it.

"Yeah, I am," Seth answered truthfully. "Do you know where we are?"

The woman smirked. "No idea, but not that does matter. I already know what they're planning to do with me. Not that I know what you are here for."

Seth furrowed her eyebrows. "I was... oh yeah, we all stopped by at a town for food and to buy a map, I then went to get us some clean water and got knocked out on the way. I think. In fact, I don't really remember... ha ha, look! I'm turning into Seppuku-dono!"

"...Seppuku-dono?" the woman echoed. _You know a suicidal samurai? _"You seem quite an odd one, I suppose a youngster like you would be quite easy to capture even if you have a devil fruit."

The sandy-haired girl smiled warmly. "I have a really awesome devil-fruit! When Urchin-san and Seppuku-dono finds us, I'll show you!" She then held out her right hand, only for her cuffed left hand to floppily copy her action. "I am Seth Monroe by the way, doctor and future owner of the ship _Titanic_!"

With an amused chuckle, the hand was equally amicably received. "Anne. Just Anne." In fact, Anne's hand was considerably filled with many scars and cuts- but the doctor did not say anything to it.

"So Anne-san, how come you're here?" Seth asked curiously.

"Despite our situation, you're ridiculously happy, you know that?" Anne commented. "You could say I'm here to be taken somewhere. And _how_ I got here..." she paused, remembering the small boy who should have never been caught up in the mess, crying and nursing his broken arm whilst a pair of meaty fingers threatened to break the other. "...I was ambushed."

Seth bobbed her head in a childish fashion. "What for?"

_She sure asks a lot of questions,_ Anne mused to herself. "They came for my half completed maps of the ocean but I had already destroyed them before they got to me. They're trying to force me to redraw them from memory."

"Maps?" Seth blinked several times. "You can draw maps? Of anywhere?"

Anne found her ponytail was growing loose and quickly tied the long wavy locks of hair back once again. "Like I said, my maps are only half complete..."

The doctor was notably inching closer at every question. "Can you draw a map to the Grand Line then?"

"Depends who I am drawing it for," Anne lowered her arms and stretched out her stiff legs. "Anyway, it's not like I'm going to generously hand out maps at this rate. You should sleep some more, it'll be a while until our captors come check on us." She slumped back against the wall and was ready for another quite nap, but saw a large grin break out on her companion's face. "...what it is?"

Seth clapped her hands together. "Then how about drawing a map for a person whose looking for his little sister and trying to prevent her getting in trouble with the Marines? You'll draw a map for a good person, won't you?"

With an incline of her head, Anne hummed thoughtfully. "You seem confident that your friends will come and save you."

She received a happy, overly-done nod. "Of course! Urchin-san made a promise I can have _Titanic_ after him so he's going to have to come for me!" Her dark eyes were filled with pure optimism and confidence.

"Let's put it this way then," Anne said as she propped her back up straight and folded her legs. "If what you're saying is true; I would like unlimited access and passage to your ship, including food and lodgings. In return I will draw you a map to anywhere you want, my maps might not be to the pinpoint of accuracy but I generally had eight years to myself and the whole world. Does that seem fair or am I overstaying my welcome?"

Seth shook her head. "Nope! I think that's fair! Oh Urchin-san will be so happy that I found a map to the Grand Line!"

"...are you referring to me by chance?"

* * *

Glaring at the distance town for the umpteenth time; Brandy began kicking a nearby fence to vent out his frustration- only to have his leg stuck inside the wood. "Damn, Monroe could you-" he paused. _No wait... we're meant to be looking for that doc, aren't we?_ He swore under his breath a few more times and after making an utter fool out of himself in front of some passing farmers and countryside-walkers, he finally wretched his metallic foot out of the plank.

Brandy, was obviously bored. The view gave nothing special or tourist-like for him to awe at, just a large patch of empty grassland with some bushes and trees pinpointed far away from each other, and a fat river curving along the side of the small valley. "That retarded samurai said he was going to be 'just a moment,' I just hope he hasn't forgotten who the hell he is again.." Since the two failed to find Seth anywhere, the two had decided to return to the ship which was at the other side of the grassy plains at a disused dock.

After what was assumed to be an hour; a figure was seen timely walking up the visible path on the pasture. Brandy squinted at the sight of the white drab coat and dark suit underneath. "A Marine? Wonder what's he doing by himself."

The man seemed to be at his early thirties with neat chestnut hair that hung past his shoulders and rose-coloured eyes which studied him vacantly. Brandy expected the uniformed man to just pass casually without any words needing to be exchanged but as distance closed between the two, the Marine began to slow down and eventually halted several metres away from the eighteen-year-old.

"I cam here on an investigation," he spoke with a hollow tone. "I did not think I would find you here, Brandy One-Shot..."

Brandy was a little surprised. "You know me? Because your face doesn't ring a bell."

"Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley," the man announced fruitlessly. "I have met Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot on several cases." His body was so stiff it was almost as if his limbs were wooden and needed oiling. Badly.

"Sure then," Brandy nodded, expecting the conversation to come to a close.

Instead; Chorley just folded his hands behind his back. "I also know you through several people who had forwarded complaints of certain antics which has happened due to a teal-haired youth..." his gaze dropped to the floor. "Your crimes are minute, but you should realise you should not taint your family's name with such humiliation..."

A vein throbbed on Brandy's forehead. "Hey Mister, I'm not the only guy out there with this kind of hair."

Chorley ignored him completely. "Young brats like you deserve to be taught their place in society and stop disrupting this justified world anymore by breaching with small-time offences when large-scale pirate problems are still at large..."

"That's it, you're really just trying to pick a fight, aren't you?" Brandy threw his left leg up to hit the Marine at his side, but was dodged easily. He threw a few more relentless kicks but hit nothing but air at every attack. "Shi-"

His pink-hued irises began to glow an eerie red as he lifted his eyes. _"Kneel,"_ Chorley spoke softly, voice almost just a whisper yet the single word shrieked like a madman and threw Brandy down onto his knees all in an instant.

With green eyes widening in surprise, Brandy almost lost the will to speak. "What the hell...?" He tried getting back up, but was forcefully pinned down by a thousand invisible hooks, painfully holding him in place.

Chorley folded his hands behind his back and stared down at him blankly. "If you were not part of the One-Shot family... I would have not be so merciful." He closed his eyes and turned away. "Your punishment will be to stay frozen there for forty-eight hours and atone." Chorley departed into the small footpath, each step was timed and steady as if mechanically driven. "Be fortunate your family thinks so highly of you."

An irritated voice was picked up from the wind. "Oi, you pink-eyed bastard," Brandy growled, legs shakily straightened. "...don't you dare..." he gritted his teeth and took several spaces to Chorley's surprise. "DON'T YOU DARE GROUP ME WITH THAT WEIRDO LOT!"

To be honest, that was not the first thing Chorley had to mind of what Brandy was going to rant about. He could not fathom how Brandy was able to even move in the first place.

The carbon blade once again tore through Brandy's trouser leg and he made an arc towards the Marine. "Both my mother and sister are morons! My two older siblings are self-obsessed perverts! My uncle is a randomer! My father talks to his bonsai more than his own family! So don't put me in the same category as those freaks, bitch!"

Chorley inwardly let out a sigh and produced several knives from his pocket and tossed them with great accuracy at Brandy, ferociously digging into his shoulder, knee and arm. The fight once again, ended instantaneously.

_Lieutenant Commander my ass! What's with this guy?_

"If you truly despise your kin, then tell me..." Chorley said softly. "Why are you wearing the One-Shot notable features so proudly? Black slippers, long sashes, green eyes, and teal hair which is swept away from the face..."

Six hundred yards away; a youthful sniper with striking emerald eyes and light brown hair began lowering her scope. She was not entirely sure how to react when her companion was beginning to be attacked but as expected, he handled the matter quite easily. She rose to sitting position and began packing the extra magasins into her sweatshirt pocket.

"It's not your fault you lost, Brandy-kun," she sang to herself, wiping off dust from her leggings. "After all Lieutenant Commander Chorley actually~" she paused.

**Bang!**

Wake's shoulder was grazed by the sudden shot aimed at him, fortunately he sidestepped quickly enough for it to miss his heart. Knowing he was spotted; Wake slowly rustled out of his hiding spot behind towering bushes and shrubbery, staring blankly at the grinning young female.

"Used to sport great long hair, just likes yours Mister~" she smiled sweetly, holding out the gun she yanked out of her leg holster in mere moments. "Spying on a lady is not very gentleman-like of you, you know?"

The swordsman touched the light shed of blood and inspected it. "...neither is two against one."

"Don't worry, your friend has already been beaten," the sniper lowered her weapon a little. "If you leave now, I'll pretend I never saw you. There's no need for a pretty-haired person like you to die so young. (Though I'm even younger)."

Wake silently touched his double-edge titanic sword, Enigma. "Sontakeishiki _(Sonata Form)..._" he mumbled to himself as he drew the huge blade. "Jukansho _(Recurring)_." Dozens of slashes of compressed air fell like a tidal wave onto the female sniper.

His attack had also attracted the attention of Chorley due to the eruptions of earth which pounded into the sky. With mild interest, he turned towards the raging storm which neared him- along with the approaching figure of his junior, who was frantically making hand-signs. 'Pirate.' "I will deal with you later, One-Shot," Chorley said before sprinting towards the charging mud cloud with knives between his fingers.

The brunette passed him with a thumbs-up as good luck whilst Chorley closed distance to the attack and used the knives to catch the fast-moving sword, with a second twist of his left hand he completely ceased all available movement for Enigma.

Dust cleared quickly, and Wake's face was more than recognizable, even under his wide-rimmed hat. He tried yanking the sword away, but to no avail.

"Pirate Wake Waltz, also known as the Sleeping Curse," Chorley said softly. "I never thought you would become comrades with a brother of a Marine."

"All because I am fighting you... does not mean I am defending the boy," Wake deadpanned, shrugging his shoulders.

Chorley's eyes narrowed. "Then why attack, Sleeping Curse?"

The pirate gave the Lieutenant Commander an almost unimpressed face. "I'm a pirate...you're a Marine... I thought our feelings are kinda... mutual?" For some completely odd reason, Wake looked sheepish as he defined his reason.

To break the tension; the sniper laughed. "Ah! I see! So it's nothing personal, right? We can deal with that!"

Rose-coloured eyes glared wearily. "Blanca."

"Sorry Lieutenant Commander! I'm just happy that he's not another guy coming after us 'cos we sank their ship or killed their nakama or something," Blanca Ross apologised in a chirpy fashion. "My whole life was suddenly turning into a whole depressing love-love drama, you know?"

"Blanca..."

"Oh, apologies sir! Your life already _is_ a depre-"

"Blanca! We are not discussing that _here_!" For the first time, Chorley showed a sign of distress, in fact, a slight tinge of red had betrayed his cool serenity from earlier.

Seeing the opportunity; Wake touched the end of Enigma. "Sontakeishiki: Meisekimu..." _(Sonata Form: Lucid)_ The sword instantly began to vibrate, even with Chorley's knives fixing it in position. As the vibration grew more violent, the Marine had no choice but retract and the sword fell to the floor like an overpowering drill.

Wake made a jump to the sky and began twisting his beserk Enigma, creating a spiralling stream which pounded itself on the ground, eventually forming an oddly shaped, sharp crater. Several metres away from the damage; Blanca began to clap lightly at the large mist of dust and rubble.

"Wow~ what an awesome technique," she breezed. "Maybe I should've applied for swordsmanship than sniping."

Her Lieutenant Commander inwardly sighed. "Blanca. What was Rule #19 on the Handbook I gave you?"

"To never voice out your inner thoughts unless they are directly able to mentally break down the opponent," she recited.

"Then act upon it if you will," he said coldly- only to find the barrel of a gun being pointed at his direction. "Bla-" The weapon triggered and its bullet flicked through Chorley's hair and hit a moving target in a tree.

A second later; a limp toffee-coloured bird fell to the grass carpet beneath him, with glassy eyes still open and mouth full of food.

With a nervous chuckle, Blanca slipped her gun back in its holster. "Sorry sir, got a bit paranoid then."

"...would you care to stop doing that," Chorley impassively requested. "It still catches me off-guard no matter how many times you do it."

Blanca merely laughed. "Don't worry Lieutenant Commander! I never miss a target! Isn't that why you agreed to me being your partner?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Chorley muttered before watching the last of the smokes of rubble die away like a cold flame. The river next to him had a ragged black coat caught on some rocks, nearby Brandy remained both untouched and unconscious. He dipped his hand into the cool water and felt it rush through his fingers, a quite fast moving current which would allow one to swim quickly through. "Let's leave, Blanca." He said, taking a final glance at Brandy.

The sniper followed his gaze and folded her arms behind her head. "What are you going to do with Brandy-kun, sir?"

Chorley considered several options and readjusted his tie to perfection. "Nothing. Leave him be, his wounds are not serious and someone is bound to come here to see what all the commotion was about." His rose-coloured eyes flitted ahead towards the nearest clutter of houses. "And alert that the Sleeping Curse is nearby the south coast of Marchpoint Island."

In measured pacing; he began to return to the pathway once more that snaked to the docking, the opposite direction from the town. Blanca started to follow him, but took one short look over her shoulder at the distant tree before smiling all-knowingly, then wordlessly joined Chorley's side. Ten minutes later; Wake noiselessly hopped off the branch he was perched on and landed next to the dead bird.

He began approaching the teal-haired eighteen-year-old's body, fishing his coat out of the river on his way. He then paused.

_...my hat's gone._

A man with a stubbly chin and a cigarette clenched in his teeth picked up a wide-rimmed black hat at a low bridge, took one short inspection and threw it on his head.

* * *

_A young woman in rags slowly looked up hazily into a pair of piercing green eyes. In her weak arms she held a bundle of cloths which she rocked back and forth, protecting it from the downpour which spat at them from cackling grey clouds. She eventually lowered her gaze and sighed wearily._

_The stranger crouched down in front of her, he was wearing a dark suit and carried a large umbrella over his head. "You have beautiful skin," he said smoothly, just faintly brushing his index finger against a mudstained cheek. "Your eyes also... they remind me a lot of my mothers. Gentle and calm." He waited to see if she would respond, but the woman did not as much flinch. "I can make you a deal, my lady..."_

_It was then did she begin chewing on her bottom lip._

_"If you come with me but leave your past behind, I shall promise you a life of shelter and peace," he delicately put out. "I am a widowed father whose children is in need of a caring mother, they are kind and well-mannered, I am sure you will come to love them."_

_"Maybe I will," she spoke through her raspy and crackling throat, hugging the bundle tighter. "You appear to be a kind man yourself... but I am held responsible for bringing life into this world, I will see it to the end... even if I die doing so."_

_Silence was drowned out by the ever deluging rain._

_"A wondrous answer," the man praised. "Truly wondrous..." he held the umbrella over the head full of dirty white-blond hair. "Then should I extend our deal? Perhaps my family could do with some more youths." He held out a hand for her. "May I know your name, dear lady?"_

_Hesitantly, she hooked onto his fingers. "Nancy... and yours?"_

_"Champagne One-Shot."_

_

* * *

_

He woke up so quickly and shot up so suddenly that his forehead connected with Wake's, causing both parties to crash down to their defeat. The ceiling began to spin like the sickening cake-mix Rum attempted to cook with.

"Shit! What happened?" Brandy groaned, rubbing the faint bruise. He forced himself upright and half-glared at the fuzzy surroundings which resembled his cabin at _Titanic._

Recovering a little more slowly, the silver-haired swordsman staggered to his feet. "...I don't remember."

Something mentally snapped. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

There was a blink of surprise. "Ah, I remember you now."

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU _AND _THROW YOU OVERBOARD!"

"No Urchin-san, you must show mercy to others."

There was an awkward pause, due to the fact those words had left _Wake's_ mouth. "...should I be worried?" Brandy subconsciously moved away a little on the bed.

Wake titled his head thoughtfully and stared with heavy-lidded eyes. "I only said what I remembered..." then a light-bulb lit above his head. "Ah... I remember." Without warning did he look out to the distance.

"Oh would you cut that out! You're not a freaking shaman!" A piece of paper was abruptly flapped at Brandy's face. "What's this?" He unfolded the sheet and skimmed through it.

**If you know this girl then you have until eight to give us back our papers alone at Teterra Bridge.  
If you don't turn up she'll drown.  
No Marines allowed. **

The poorly taken photo of a girl lying inside a cell was still obvious in identity. Brandy scrunched up the paper and banged the back of his head against the wall. "Hey, what time is it?"

"Seven thirty."

Brandy contemplated on possible plans. "How do we get what this bitch wants?"

With a long dreary yawn, Wake searched his coat pocket and produced a stapled file of posh cream parchment. "When we went to buy a map... we accidentally swapped papers when Doctor nudged you into a person..." note the word 'nudge.' "That person must have thought Doctor had it..."

Sighing, Brandy touched the sore areas where Chorley's knives dug into. Wake had politely dressed the wounds the best he could with the first-aid kid. "How much shit is those papers worth for someone to docnap Monroe?"

"It's a contract..." Wake replied as he studied the mass blocks of writing in front of him. "The Sinclair family employed two men to find their runaway daughter... without the contract, payment can't be given." He tossed it onto the bed and glanced outside the window, locks of silvery hair falling over his left eye.

Brandy raised his eyebrows at the sum of money that the Sinclair family agreed to pay if the mission was a success, he then took a second read at the demand letter. _Normal people wouldn't go as far as kidnapping even for a contract with this much beri. Are they really that worried?_ He turned over the page of the contract, green eyes dancing through each sentence. _Two men being employed to capture a noble who has been on the run... _An assumption began to flare.

"...who should go to the exchange point?" yawned Wake, as he rubbed one tired, droopy eye. "The Marines are probably coming after me... we should make it quick."

"Don't worry, we'll make this one really quick," Brandy said with a ghostly smirk. "Stay sharp, Wake."

Turning away from the window, Wake bored his silver eyes at the young adult. "...who's Wake?"

"DAMN YOUR RETARDED BRAIN TO HELL!"

* * *

Another copy of the demand letter was torn off by Blanca who waved it at her older comrade's face as they got on board the Marine ship.

"Shouldn't we do something about it?"

Chorley drummed his fingers against the banister. "What are you thoughts on it, Blanca?"

"I'm thinking promotion, sir!"

"...that was unexpectedly devious."

The brunette laughed, some stray strands of hair slipped out of the clips she used to clear her fringe away from her face. "Lieutenant Commander Chorley sir, not everyone is an open book like you!" she pranced off down to the quay, picking up a heavy rifle on her descend.

Chorley was speechless.

* * *

**I've been going through this chapter so many times, going off and coming back so many times that it drove me to insanity. How's everyone been doing nowadays? I've been into Detective Conan lately... wao~ And let's celebrate everyone, we now have the full crew on the cast list!**

**Sorry if I messed up any OCs as usual. I'll try harder at the fight scenes too...**

**Excuse any spelling or grammar errors. Like I said, this chapter really did make my do a keyboard bash.**

**And so~ positions required!**

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa_**_  
Chef- _**_taken by Bearded Zeus_**_  
Doctor- _**_taken by Cocoasit_**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _**_  
Musician/Entertainer_**_- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines-  
_**_-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
_**_-_**_Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
__**-**? Blanca Rose_**_  
Enemy Crew_**_  
_**_-_**_Astaro Pirates- (spoilers)_**_  
Ally Crew_**_-  
_**_-_**_Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Yama" Arron  
_**_-_**_Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels _**_  
_****Shichibukai **_(four positions left)__  
- taken by Happy2Bme  
-taken by Lururi  
-taken by Threedimensional_

**Please see Chapter 1 for the OC form!**


	5. Pursuit IV: Crafty Navigator

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit IV: Crafty Navigator

"He's escaping."

"No shit Sherlock! Oi, throw something at him!"

"You might hit the kid, it's too risky!"

"He's escaping..."

"Damn it!"

"Looks like we're done for!"

"If only I could produce blood-wings."

"Wings...? That's a damn great idea. Throw me instead!"

"Aim... and 3-2-"

"**Aotenjo Uni Hakkaten!**"

**Fwish~**

"...1?"

* * *

**One Hour Ago**

* * *

Teterra Bridge was a long, wide bridge which stretched across an azure blue river, supposedly deep with a fast-moving current. Two figures was waiting at one end of the bridge, a large sack was lying in between them, limp and unmoving. Behind them was a darkening forest and above; the orange sky was already casting ribbons of black and sapphire which threw dozens of menacing shadows underneath the railings.

At the other side; a young man with long silver hair and clad in a tatty black coat began pacing along the deck with hands loosely hanging at his sides.

"Doesn't he have some fancy swords," one muttered, blowing an ash-grey ring out of his cigarette smoke. "Let's see if they're all just for show." He too began walking forwards, hands shoved into his pockets. He wore a shabby trench-coat and a wide-rimmed black hat which he found early in the morning."Yo kid, you must be the little lady's friend?"

Wake said nothing, he merely reached into his pocket and held up the wrinkled contract. "...a bargain."

"Sure, your cute girlfriend is alive and well in that bag," the man jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the large sack next to a burly man at his early forties. "Give my partner a moment to take her out an-"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wake quickly cut him off, speaking in an empty and pallid tone.

An awkward silence broke out between the two. A stub of ash crumbled off the end of the cigarette in the exchanger's mouth, he studied Wake's face carefully, seeing nothing but apathy and seriousness.

"...what?"

Five minutes later; the man returned to his end of the bridge with the contract shoved deep into his pocket and face scrunched up in confusion and slight concern. He dropped the half-dead cigarette and reached into his coat for a fresh stick.

"I thought you were gonna kill him?" his tall and muscular accomplice mumbled.

There was a shake of a head. "There's no point. Trust me."

"What about the girl? Are we taking her to him?"

"Yeah... about that..."

* * *

"YOU TRADED THE CONTRACT FOR YOUR _HAT_?"

Wake nodded. "He found it in the morning... under the bridge." He then patted the threadbare material affectionately and almost smiled. "Great news... right?"

"YOU COMPARED A HUMAN LIFE TO A FREAKING HAT! WHERE ARE YOU DAMN MORALS YOU RETARDED SAMURAI?" He grabbed hold of the older man's shirt collar and began violently shaking him. "The plan was so you trade the contract for Monroe and then let me deal with the rest!"

Once again, a short moment of silence breathed between the two.

"...who's Monroe?"

"WHY YOU-" Instead of rebuking the forgetful swordsman anymore, Brandy retreated away and began smashing his head into a tree until there was a convincing bloody red rose painted onto his splintered head and on the emotion-venting-object. He inhaled and exhaled deeply and slowly, calming himself down and approaching Wake once more with a more relaxed face.

He nodded. "Okay, since you completely fucked up my original plan and now I'm majorly pissed off, let's just go beat the crap out of those bastards and find the doc. Roger that?"

Wake opened his mouth.

"In fact, don't say anything. Let's mosey."

The two ran from their end of the bridge, quickly to the other side and saw two men clad in black talking in low mumbled voices with the sack held between them. They seemed to have been discussing where to dump Seth until Brandy and Wake arrived. The smaller of the pair instantly smiled at the sight of the swordsman, he lowered the cargo and waved casually with one hand.

With a pallid expression, Wake waved back.

Brandy stabbed a finger at the sack's direction. "Is that her?"

"Miss Smiley? Yes it is," he answered. "First I thought you didn't want but... would you like her back, free of charge? I'm not cruel enough to demand anything more from you two." He then lowered his voice at Brandy. "And hey... that buddy of yours over there, is he alright in the head? He seems a little... out there."

Since Brandy had no idea how to reply to such a mysterious question, he just clammed up. He would have thought Wake to be insane but the guy actually managed to escape from Marines in the early morning with him. Without a scratch.

"Well, that's not really my business," the man held both hands to his defence. "Hey Gold, take the girl out!"

With a nod, the stocky man reached into the matted bag and pulled out a girl with long sandy tresses- the only problem was that she was nine years old.

"Hey, that's not our doc," Brandy said flatly. "She's double the age of that pipsqueak."

The smoker sighed wearily. "Darn you Gold, why do you always make the same mistakes again and again?"

Looking down carefully at the small child with stiff handcuffs wrapped round her skinny wrists, Wake inclined his head. "...if she's not who we're looking for, is she a kidnapped child?" His suddenly sharp perspective earned shockers from the two in front of him. "...what?"

Attention then was turned to the exchanger who awkwardly began to scratch his dark hair. "Yeah, about that..." Without warning he pulled a gun from his pocket and jabbed it into Brandy's ribs, before he even placed his finger on the trigger the weapon was slice into two by a large, heavy sword. In surprise, the man's eyes trailed up the long blade and saw it was being held by none other than the odd silver-haired swordsman. "You really are a strange fellow, aren't you Sir Blank-Face?"

Wake adjusted his footing and swung Enigma to force his opponent to back away from the deadly arc. He glanced up at Gold who slipped the half-concious girl back into the sack and left it against a fat tree, marching his way onto the bridge.

"I'll deal with them two, Silver," Gold mumbled, popping his knuckles.

The so-called named person- Silver, held his hand out. "Wait Gold, I'm starting to recognise that pirate sword... he must be Sleeping Curse Wake Waltz, not your kind of guy unfortunately." The corner of his mouth curls into a grin. "But I can work on his wavelength. Just take care of his angry-looking friend over there." He pulled off his trench-coat and revealed a pair of twin swords and half a dozen guns buckled to his waist and chest. He began twirling his two blades in a skilled fashion and threw himself at Wake.

In response; Wake pushed Brandy out of the way and held Enigma at its full length to block the simultaneous attacks. Brandy swore loudly and staggered to his feet, he instantly dropped to the floor again when a large meaty fist almost grazed his cheek.

Brandy rolled under Gold's legs and aimed a hefty kick at the back of the knee. He expected the large man to enter a crashing descent but Gold did not budge, it was almost as if he did not feel it. He twisted round, muscles rippling under his suit as he aimed powerful jabs and hooks without wasting a single second. Brandy had no time to prevent his trousers from once again receive another set of tears and had a carbon blade rip through the black material. Hands placed firmly on the surface, he flexed his arms and pushed himself up into the air- **"Drunken Corde lisse!"**- and made a solid drop-kick onto Gold's head.

He was about to shift into his next attack with his blade but thick fingers firmly grasped hold of his ankle and threw him like he was a sack of potatoes. Brandy was convinced he bit his tongue quite hard from the unforeseen comeback.

"Shit... I gave him a direct hit on the head and he still walks like a freaking dandy-man," Brandy muttered, stumbling away from Gold. "His skull is even thicker than Rum's."

Deciding that he needed to hit his opponent with something a little more harder than metal, Brandy reluctantly darted forward, jumped and shoved his foot into Gold's square face. "Try this one from point-blanc range!" The impact as usual; sent Brandy into the air and a hard descent onto his back. But a satisfying explosion bloomed at his target. "Finally, that damn bastard is..." he paused when the smoke and fire evaporated quickly. "...still fucking alive."

Around then did Silver and Wake include Brandy into the storm of blurred swords. Whilst the teal-haired teenager desperately began ducking and swivelling his hips away from the dancing weapons, the other two ignorantly continued to keep their eyes fixated on each other.

"Not bad Waltzer, not bad," Silver complimented. "You sure look like you're wasted or something, but you're pretty alert you know?"

Wake wordlessly continued to thrust Enigma to defend the offence which was pounding at him. He muttered something under his breath that made Brandy break out into cold sweat, however Silver was not able to catch the words.

He cocked his head and swiftly shifted into a faster wave of attacks. "You said something, kid?"

One heavy-lidded blue eye flitted towards Silver's hazel orbs. **"Sonatakeishi..."** (_Sonata Form_)

"Hang on a minute you craz-!" Brandy was cut off when a hundred slashes of compressed air blasted from the silver-haired swordsman and towards the two unfortunate victims.

**"...Jukansho." **(_Recurring_)

Rubble, dust and debris instantly swept into a climbing tower above the bridge and spilling into the darkening-palette of the sky. Brandy rolled out of the dirty smoke, groaning and coughing on his knees, Wake appeared next to him and began to pat his back with an impassive gaze. "...you okay?"

Brandy whipped his head up and focused a deathly glare. "Am I okay? I was right _there_ in the party-zone when you did that completely messed up move! You should cut your damn hair so you can see what's going on next to you!"

The bridge eventually cleared away to once again display the two darkly-clad men standing at their original spot at the other side, the unmoving sack sat near them. Gold was completely unhurt but Silver had a few cuts on his arm and his shoulder. He was baring a grim smile.

"Quite a noisy bunch aren't you two? We probably attracted too much attention by now and the Marines are going to get a little too curious," Silver said a little remorsefully.

He had betrayed himself for a second and Brandy noticed that the hazel eyes flashed at the trees. The nozzle appeared from under his foot and the blast of the projectile sprang him over the heads of Silver and Gold in just mere moments, not wasting a single second by slicing the tree in half and saw two large sacks slumped behind the trunk, similar to the one the little girl was in.

Realizing what had happened, Silver cursed and reached for another gun.

**"Sontakeishiki: Meisekimu."** (_Sonata Form: Lucid_) Enigma began to tremble violently in Wake's hand, he drew one foot back and flung the sword forward. It thundered into the ground between Gold and Silver with a mighty roar, drilling into the solid floor and flicked out specks of rubble at a dangerous speed.

To avoid getting small sharp pieces spitting into their arms and legs, the two retreated away, giving Wake the opening to sprint past them and next to Brandy.

Brandy untied both sacks and discovered a half-concious Seth Monroe and a tanned young woman with long wavy, blond hair. "Monroe, wake up!" he slapped the doctor on both cheeks and her eyes twitched.

"Ah, Urchin-san's here!" Seth chirped. "For getting here so quickly, I, Doctor Seth Monroe shall promote you from normal urchin hybrid to Captain Urchin!"

"...you know what, you can just stay rotting in that sack."

The unfamiliar woman groaned and uncomfortably shifted her shoulders. "What was with all that racket?"

Brandy frowned at her. "Who're you anyway?"

"She's our map to the Grand Line!" Seth answered cheerfully. "Isn't that great, we can find your little sister in no time!" Whether she heard Anne mumble 'It's Anne' in the background or not, Seth did not react at all and continued to smile happily at her rescue.

"Scratch that. We need to find a way out of here first," Brandy responded sombrely, not forgetting the other two members of his company. "Them lot are pretty tough."

Wake lowered his tatty hat to shade his face even further. "...they're not alone."

Three black figures melted away from the trees surrounding them and formed a wide circle which was joined in by Gold. Silver however, took a few more steps forward and smiled almost apologetically.

"Sorry, but all because the contract said 'two men' were meant to bring back Lady Sinclair, didn't mean we rounded up a search-party on the way," he flourished an arm at his comrades. "Hand us back the dear Lady and let's call it quits, shall we?"

_Oh, so she's the noble?_ Brandy gave the long-haired woman a side-glance. "Sorry, I don't make deals with murderers."

This earned surprise from both parties.

Silver rubbed the back of his neck. "Murderers, eh? I know we don't look the most angelic bunch but there's really no need to go for the stereotypical image."

"We're on an island where two men were found murdered, the contract which fell in our hands said that two men were given a job and you _threatened_ us to give back the papers instead of just asking," Brandy counted off the points with his fingers. "How's that?"

Firstly; silence broke out in the wooded area, no one moved or twitched from Brandy's words. Of all the reactions expected of Silver to give, he began to clap. "Well done boy, never thought I'd ever get to mess with a detective once in my lifetime. Though I have to confess that I first mistook your friends for pirates at a first impression."

Brandy could have laughed. "I'm a net-maker. And they're not my friends." _I'll drown myself if they were._

"Yeah! We're his side-kicks!" Seth chipped in.

"Do you realise you just demoted yourself?" Anne deadpanned. "And can someone take me out of this sack? It's making me smell of potatoes."

"Yeah sure, and get bullet holes and knives sticking out of my back at the same time," Brandy snapped. "Hey Wake, why do-"

A shadow fell above his head, Wake had jumped on top of the tree stump and reached under his squalid, charcoal-black coat. "...I'll give you forty seconds." He did not give Brandy time to ask him to elaborate. Wake yanked out a heavy revolver and bulky rounds discharged from the snout. Effects was similar to sloppily-aimed projectiles.

Explosions and the scream of fire shrieked into Brandy's ears, he flinched at the next pull of the trigger and knelt down next to Anne. "Okay, how do I get this off?"

However, Anne furrowed her eyebrows at him. "I can't here you!"

"HOW DO YOU GET THESE OFF?" Brandy gestured his question by holding up the manacled wrists from the sack, only to feel the life completely drain out of him. He let go as if it was piping hot and blinked dumbly. "WHAT IS THAT MADE OF?"

Anne rolled her eyes. "Just cut them off!"

With a nod, Brandy sliced the shackles with the blade in his leg for the two females just as all the ammunition in Wake's revolver emptied. Despite the massive fire-power, hardly any damage was made to the opposing team by the way they easily moved around the trees and shrubbery.

Dark-green eyes glanced up at the sword-wielding pirate. "Even with those big-ass bullets you didn't hit _anything_?"

"...I hit a bird."

Ecstatic that she can move again spontaneously; Seth stretched out her limbs and twirled on one foot. "Hurrah for freedom!"

A whistled tune filled the air, it was sweet and shrilly. The four confusedly tried to search where it was coming from- then there was a grumble. The earth beneath their feet began to quiver and trees were notably swaying in a drunkard fashion. Anne strained her ears past all the confusion and felt beads of sweat prickle on the back of her neck. She clumsily rose to her feet and grabbed hold of Brandy's arm.

"Run for it!" she barked.

Three pairs of eyes stared at her with mild puzzlement- which then turned into shock when a family of bears came tearing through the forest and madly blundered forwards. They all began to clear a path for the crazed beasts and then Anne spotted something next to the tree stump. A small sack.

Realization flush through her like a raging wave. "J-Junko!"

Five minutes painfully past and the forest once again grew silent, trees whispered sympathetically and the muddy dust began to settle. Brandy- face deep in a pile of damp leaves, rose his head slowly and studied his surroundings. It did not take him long to figure out he was all alone.

**Snap!**

Or not. Twigs cracked under Gold's massive weight, he approached Brandy slowly and confidently, he knew that it was physically impossible for him to be defeated.

"Let me just sum up what's happened today," Brandy said to himself and used a nearby tree to pull himself up. "I had no breakfast, my guide proved to be useless, I got pushed through a wall, I got my foot stuck in a fence, I got my ass kicked by a pink-eyed bastard, I got my ass mentally kicked by my guide, I got my ass kicked again in a fight, and so, to wrap it up; I'm just going to say hell I am _not_ getting my ass kicked freaking _again_."

Gold stared at him obdurately. "Is that so?"

Brandy dusted his clothes off clean and flexed his arms. "Listen here, I'm going to show you something really, _really_ special..."

* * *

"-suddenly obeyed our orders because we were threatening that small boy's arm that's how I found out your weakness was children and captured a little village girl called Junko I believe to keep you on a leash without you biting back..."

Anne was sure that he had not paused once as he drawled on, it was a little disturbing since his face was not blue at all after talking for three minutes and twenty eight seconds and still counting. She was never much of a biologist but was positive this was beyond the law of science.

"-makes me I, Boron a completely educated man!"

He did not even sound out of breath. Anne was officially freaked- and that alone was hard enough to come by.

"Under little Junko's courtesy, I guess I should at the very least have you tasting dirt," Anne said softly. She made a cut on her finger with a knife, blood shot out like snakes and quickly trapped Boron in a crimson cage. "It makes me sick knowing that you dare used a child as a hostage."

Boron grinned manically and produced a conch from one of his baggy, bright yellow trousers. A fire bloomed from his hand and ran along the bars of the cage like a frenzied squirrel. The long cherry-red vines began slowly melting away to nothingness.

Anne's eyebrows was raised in surprise. "How...?"

He cackled in glee and danced with the eight colourful seashells in his hands. "Are you that uneducated, girl?" he sneered. "These are all Flame Dials which will melt all your attacks before you even reach me! If you were educated you would know that most of your blood is made of water!" He fell into helpless snorts and sniggers, prancing on his toes with the dials being tossed high over his head. "You'll never defeat me! Give up you uneducated girl! You have no hope!"

As he continued to drown at his own merriment, Anne glanced at the cut she made on her index finger and sucked on the wound to prevent it from going dry. "Nine," she said.

Quickly, Boron's cackle died down and he inclined his head at the brown-eyed young aristocrat. "You said something?"

She smiled at him almost sweetly. "I can think of nine different ways to defeat you. Which one would you like to hear first, Mr. Education?" In fact; she did not even give him a chance to reply, Anne pulled the knife from her hip again and threw it with accuracy which hit one of the dials. "Number one; use a weapon which does not melt easily." She drew a circle in the air with her bleeding finger, **Doki Doki no Ame** (_Bloody Rain_), pearls of bright red fell through and spat at Boron like a spitfire. "Number two; attack him so quickly that my blood won't melt in time." Another four had crumbled.

The colour in Boron's face began to drain away. "W-Wait-"

**Doki Doki no Deba** (_Bloody Knife_) Compared to the shower of bloody bullets, a paper-thin auburn knife formed from Anne's wound. "Number three; control the basic levels in my blood so it is mostly iron and not water." The blade was so sharp and subtle that it sliced through another dial without a sound.

In Boron's trembling juggling, he counted the remaining three dials. He fumbled for one of them and aimed it at Anne, allowing a mouth of fire envelope her. "H-Ha! You thought I'd let you finish showing off arrogantly, un-uneducated girl!"

"Number four," she whispered from behind him. "Attack away from the dials' range." **Doki Doki no Muchi** (_Bloody Whip_) Her favourite bloody whip crawled out of the cut on her finger and attacked menacingly. Two more dials were broken in the process and Boron was thrown onto the floor, writhing in pain. Anne stepped on the last dial with her black sandals, placing her hands on her hips. "Number five... well, there's no need for that now, is there? I didn't even get half way through with all my specially thought-up plans." She went to retrieve her knife and began strolling past the bespectacled man.

He began laughing. "Of course, of course! Education must have been given to you whilst you were with the Sinclair family! I know understand!"

Anne gave him a rather odd look. "Hm? What about the Sinclairs? I heard they're a little rich family on an island at the South Blue but that's all." She winked at him slyly. "I never said I had any relation to them whilst I was in captivity, did I Mr. Education?"

* * *

It was obvious that there was something going on at Teterra Bridge, Chorley received reports of explosions, a horde of distressed bears and also a _lot_ of insane laughter. He stood still quite some distance away from the bridge with hands folded behind his back, thoughts in a deep muse.

Next to him, Blanca tugged on his arm. "Sir, should we go yet?"

"No, not yet," Chorley replied. "It will be better if watch the events unfold before stepping in. More questions can be visibly answered that way."

Blanca pouted. "You know sir, there's nothing fun about trying to look cool with the whole military-pose thing."

"Blanca..."

"Blanca here, sir!"

"Why are you a Marine again?"

* * *

Quite unexpectedly; Anne ran into Wake who barely sported any injuries on his body. Then again, she too managed to get by with the only wounds are the ones she inflicted on herself in order to fight. Her brown eyes fell onto the small stains of blood on his sword and brown-tinged shirt, hopefully he would not strike her down as well with the hefty blade.

She nodded him with an impressed smile. "You're quite a tough cookie, aren't you?"

Wake did not reply.

"Anyway, have you happened to see a small girl anywhere? Or a sack even? Her hair I have to say resembles your friend very much... not the boy of course! It was that young doctor."

Same reaction.

"I guess you don't like talking to me?"

"...who are you?"

Anne felt as if the world just crashed onto her shoulders. _Has he forgot- no, wait, he just meant my name, right?_ She smiled politely and inclined her head. "I'm Anne, just Anne. And you are?"

"...don't remember."

The word 'awkward' was nowhere near close enough to describe how she was feeling at that moment. Anne stared at Wake with furious concentration, trying to see if he was trying to make a joke with her- all she saw was his blank, impassive gaze. Out of all the situations she managed to get herself tangled into, she never confronted someone who had forgotten his own name- and was not worried about it.

Her mouth opened to shape words but no sound ever came out. A nearby scream was emitted by an unfamiliar stranger who appeared to be getting closer. The two exchanged glances and braced themselves for whatever was speeding their way, hands on their weapons and upper-body leaning forward slightly.

Trees were ripped away as a human twice the size of the average man thundered through, his bulging stomach batted away anything who dare stand in front of him. He was armed with a cutlass that was even bigger than Wake's Enigma, giving the fat half-giant an extremely dangerous appearance. What did not quite matched with the picture was that his face was filled with contorted fear and horror.

He cried and shrieked his way past Anne and Wake, waving his flabby arms in the air.

Behind him, a monstrously-sized boulder chased after him, probably large and heavy enough to break a pirate ship into pieces. Underneath it, the two bystanders saw a pair of skinny legs, shorts and the hem of a brightly-coloured tank top.

"Wait up Lead-senpai! I haven't finished showing you my totally, fabulously, to-the-extremely, awesome-filled technique! It doesn't take long, I promise!" Seth persisted, hopping down the easily-spotted trail.

Anne was in loss of words. "She's a _doctor_?"

Wake said nothing.

**Trip.**

**CRASH!**

"DAMN IT MONROE! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!"

Even with the Riki Riki no Mi, jumping over a fallen tree-trunk proved to be quite a challenge. Especially with a person nearby the road-kill zone. The four regrouped, all still in one-piece and quite healthy looking. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, swallowing up the serene silence for a few seconds.

Anne cleared her throat and blew a strand of stray hair away from her face. "Looks like I owe everyone-"

**Click.**

Everyone froze as a flash of white light fleetingly poked their skin before evaporating instantaneously like a timed bomb. Silver stood some distance away from them with a smirk curling onto his lips, in one hand he waved an authentic black camera and in the other he held Junko- who was whimpering and trembling.

"A princess, a doctor, a net-maker and an idiot... or are you really just a bunch of raving monsters underneath?" Silver allowed his eyes to stray away at the colossal boulder six hundred yards away. "Since it'll be too much trouble for me to take you all on, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to play dirty." He pocketed the camera and placed a thumb and finger into his mouth to produce another whistled tune.

The earth beneath Brandy and his comrades collapsed and they fell through an insanely-constructed hole made by hundreds of wide-eyed moles, digging and clawing like their lives depended on it.

Brandy slammed his fists against the high earth wall and swore. "Damn you bastard!"

From the ledge, Silver revealed his camera for the second time. "Hope you get out of there before the Marines come! Even you do manage it, then I can't wait to see your picture on the next batch of bounty hunters, sonny! I took quite candid poses of you with that pirate, so don't worry! It's guaranteed!" He laughed and retreated. "That Fue Fue no Mi I ate is more useful than I thought." (_Fue- Whistle_) He made another sweet melody and a large, lanky bird descended from the clouds, landing ungracefully next to the awaiting man. He hoped onto his ride, dragging Junko in with him and whistled again. The bird squawked before cutting into the sky again.

Wake pinpointed the ascending dark figure with his index finger, talking in a heavily deadpan voice. "He's escaping."

"No shit Sherlock!" Brandy smacked him behind the head, causing the hat to fall off. He then turned sharply at Seth and threw his hand at the escaping Silver. " Oi, throw something at him!"

Before the doctor could even react to the order, Anne grasped hold of Brandy's arm and gave him a stern glare. "You might hit the kid, it's too risky!" She received an equally dark glare but did not turn away and stayed firm.

"He's escaping..." Wake stated for the second time.

The heated tension between Anne and Brandy broke thanks to the swordsman, the teal-haired teenager smacked his forehead and let himself curse out loud. "Damn it!"

Seth collapsed to her knees and dramatically made a defeated pose. "Looks like we're done for!" Brandy then smacked her too behind the head and dragged her back to her feet.

"If only I could produce blood wings," Anne mumbled, biting on her thumb nail.

"Wings...?" Brandy echoed absently, then the thought hit him. "That's a damn great idea." He caught Seth's attention by thumping her on the shoulder. "Throw me instead!" She responded with a nod and by seizing his sleeveless blue-grey top and then his waist, lifting him above her head into a launch position, spacing out her legs so she could give her comrade a full-flight.

Anne began gently nudging Seth's arm to prefect the aim which was directly towards the direction Silver faded away to. "Aim... and 3-2-"

"**Aotenjo Uni Hakkaten!**" (_Sky-Rocketing Sea Urchin Flashpoint!_)

**Fwish~**

The mop of unruly teal hair became nothing but a blur and Brandy did not even get the chance to berate the doctor for propelling him without him being fully(/mentally) prepared. Anne squinted at the dash of black which was being delivered through the wide blue yonder like lightning.

"...1?"

Brandy was flying so fast that tears streamed down the corner of his eyes and his cheeks rippled as cold air blasted against his face. Silver was just casually sitting on the lanky bird, ready to drop Junko into the fast-flowing river from a dangerous height. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

"OI YOU!"

Startled, Silver jerked his head round and saw the green-eyed eighteen-year-old only just a few metres away.

"THIS 'SONNY' SAYS TAKE A PUNCHLINE!" Brandy struck him square on the face, a satisfying crunch of his nose breaking followed promptly.

* * *

**The Next Day**

* * *

The newspaper headline read:

**Marine Traitor Found!**

_Ex-Marine John Silver aged 35 has been found guilty of murdering the Ian and Terry Kevan on Marchpoint Island by a farmer, apparently dropping from the sky and landed inside the barn filled with straw, which cushioned Silver's fall. His accomplices also has been located in different areas of the Summer Forest all in mysteriously different situations; Boris Welle was one the most fortunate victim and had suffered from only minor injuries but unable to move, Lee Adako was hiding near the river in a state of shock, Calcano was killed instantly by just one strike of an apparently large sword and his older brother; Golgo sported no injuries at all and was found in a heavy sleep near the track where bears had manically ran through for unexplainable reasons._

Anne's eyes continued to scan the columns of text as she absently sipped her mug of coffee. The ship she was currently residing in, the _Titantic_ was exceptionally spacious and well-constructed. It was kept immaculate thanks to their ship's doctor who cheerfully performed all the chores with no complaints.

_The nine-year-old abducted girl; Junko Asawara was returned to her home after being kept eight days as prisoner_

With a relieving smile; Anne folded the newspaper neatly and set it on her bed. She decided to get some fresh air and strolled out of her cabin, padding softly onto the deck.

"Because of your stupid hat the entire plan went wrong, what's so damn important about that dirty old thing anyway?" Brandy was _still_ in a foul mood with all the events which took place last night and had not forgotten the swordsman's role to the act. He and Wake was leaning against the banister, watching seagulls circle each other and sadly singing at the greying clouds nearby.

"...I don't remember. It might be important, or it might just be from a junk store..." Wake replied truthfully. "I always wanted to just... forget about everything." He felt for the hat and ran his fingers along the ragged material. "...but it probably isn't bad, to remember a simple thing like a hat..."

Brandy blinked several times, hoping he had not touched a sensitive topic. "Had a difficult past?"

There was a shrug. "I don't remember," Wake dropped his arm to his side limply. "And I think... I want to keep it that way. It probably wasn't as fun as what I'm doing now..." A faint smile flickered on his face, but it was only for a second.

"What's so fun almost getting killed, you retarded samurai?" Brandy grumbled and dropped the subject.

Anne took her chance to also enter the conversation, she slipped in between the two and placed her arms round their necks. "Say, I have one question Brandy-kun."

She received a weary stare. "Hm?"

"The fact you reacted badly to sea-stone means you ate a Devil Fruit," she stated, causing both Wake and Seth- who was scrubbing the deck- look at Brandy curiously. "What exactly is it?"

Their curiosity was fed more fire as a tinge of pink illuminated Brandy's face and he pried Anne's arm off him. "N-N-N-None of your business, woman!"

* * *

**Thanks everyone kindly for your support, I wanted to cry, really.**

**I read Harry Potter in desperate attempt for inspiration for fights, that was probably the most weirdest thing I did for the past year... I can't seem to find many (attempt) gag areas for this chapter... I already did a fail mystery solved and my first slightly serious fight scene ^^ Haven't done this since 'Dear Mr. Nukekubi' ...it took me months to write that one up lol~ ****And thanks to everyone who voted in the poll! I think I should've mentioned it first on the previous chapter lol silly me~ still! You guys found it!**

**Many welcomes to our sanest addition to Brandy's crew so far! How would she fair?**

**Sorry but it'll be more difficult to update with my 'You-have-to-be-an-effing-genius-or-you-will-suffer-in-hell' parents on my back all the time. If you get my drift. I didn't have time to do a proof-read, shoot me if you wish at spelling and grammar errors.**

**And so~ positions required!**

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa_**_  
Chef- _**_taken by Bearded Zeus_**_  
Doctor- _**_taken by Cocoasit_**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _**_  
Musician/Entertainer_**_- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines-  
_**_-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
_**_-_**_Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
__**-**? Blanca Rose_**_  
Enemy Crew_**_  
_**_-_**_Astaro Pirates- (spoilers)_**_  
Ally Crew_**_-  
_**_-_**_Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron  
_**_-_**_Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones_**_  
_****Shichibukai **_(two positions left- for the total awesome)__  
- taken by Happy2Bme  
-taken by Lururi  
-taken by Threedimensional  
-taken by Q Bone  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain _

**Please see Chapter 1 for the OC form! And also, if possible could you cut down on hyperactive people? There's quite a lot coming in now...**


	6. Pursuit V: Smiling Reaper

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit V: Smiling Reaper

Briefly acknowledging the lower-rank sailors who paused to salute as he passed, Fleet Admiral Gin One-Shot walked absently to his office and took one long stare around the room to take in its familiar, interior design. The long window panes painted his reflection dully; a middle-aged, square-faced man with a hairless scalp and coffee-coloured skin.

Gin studied the framed family photograph perched on top of his cocobolo work desk, it was taken a few years ago by an old friend, who unfortunately passed away just a few months ago. Sherry and Rum were both dressed in matching white dresses, as opposed to the dark suits the male members of the family wore. He furrowed his eyebrows at the toothy grin on Rum's face. _You never showed any interest in pirates in front of me, so why suddenly now...?_

He sat down and flipped through the stack of letters which had arrived early morning, most of them were Marine reports, a well-detected prank note which was most likely sent by Sherry was always slyly concealed in the masses of envelopes, and one which bore a familiar dynamic piece of handwriting with firm, down long-strokes with good pressure. Gin tore open the letter and scanned through it.

_Gin_  
_I hope you are well, Sherry has actually expressed concern for your extreme lack of rests. You're older than me brother yet still does twice as much work. Nancy too sends her regards, she admires your love for the Marines._  
_Recently, I received notice that young Rum has started a pirate career. I had wanted to confirm this with you, Gin. And no, I had not informed Nancy yet and do not wish to do so unless the child becomes truly out of hand. Has Brandy's recent fiascos also has something do with this as well? I do understand he is a smart and logical boy who you trained very well from his childhood, but wrecking a public ship seems a little overkill.  
We should have dinner together some time, Gin. It's been a while. Next Sunday, seven o'clock as the usual place?  
Yours,  
Champagne_

There was a faint knock outside the door.

Gin pocketed the letter and gave the photograph one more lingering gaze, at Rum's goofy expression, Sherry half innocent, half sly smirk, Brandy's scowl and also... Gin softly placed the frame down flat against his desk's surface, he intertwined his fingers together and beckoned his visitor inside.

A young officer entered the room and made a formal greeting. "Sir, the Warlords had arrived."

As usual; every meeting which included the Seven Warlords of the Sea always started off untidily and negligently. Gin sat quietly on his seat, hand holding back "Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott as she attempted to envelope him in a warm hug- whilst covered with venomous poisons. At his left was "Ghost Knight" Love Rafael openly mocking the Marine who sat opposite him, the conversation was making the soldier more irritable and flushed at every sentence. Dakota J. August was sitting next to Rafael and was attempting to break up the argument as gently as possible. Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam" was absently just listening to all the racket taking place in the room with her eyes closed, Miro "Silent" Silverlock wordlessly cleaned her glasses before pushing them back onto the bridge of her nose.

Finally deciding they had wasted enough time, Gin let out a low rumble at the back of his throat.

"The meeting has begun," he stated flatly. He did not expect that five of the Shichibukai would actually showed up for the set date of the meeting, though Silverlock and August would dutifully always come- they were perhaps the only two who took their occupation seriously. "Now, as you know..."

His voice trailed away when the bulky double doors were heaved open. A small boy with a black waistcoat and stark white hair walked through stealthily, an innocent smile plastered over his face. "Ah, seems like I'm the last one in," he chirped, his single yellow eye flitted around the room, the other hidden under a medical eye-patch. "You haven't been all waiting just for dear little me?" Blank, unamused faces stared at him. "Well, I guess not."

Gin inclined his head at the approaching child. "Nice to see you join us, 'Clockwork' Tock."

The smile on Tock's face grew wider. "Nice to be premorikilized in your presence, Admiral," he drawled out, no one even asked what the hell 'premorikilized' meant. "Ah, and specially in Brandy-_nii-chan_'s presence too, he carries a very similar aura to yours, you know."

"Brandy? You went to Toroa?" Gin looked mildly surprised.

A notable sarcastic voice broke into the conversation. "One-Shot, if your reason to bring us here is to get sentimental about your family then please just shoot me instead." There was no exasperation in Rafael's tone, just empty words use to catch the other two's attention. He glanced at Tock with onyx eyes. "You're short as ever."

Tock made a short curtsey. "I could say the same for your hair, it's pinker than that newborn baby I drowned yesterday."

Silence. All the Marines besides Gin look aghast and thoroughly disgusted, Belladonna opened one eye in response to the remark, the other Shichibukai stared in a deadpan manner at the small boy.

"I'm joking," Tock stated. "You really thought I'd do that?"

_Yes._

The sixth Warlord hopped onto a chair, climbing onto of two fat books in the process to give him a comfortable view over the grand table. He reached into the tiny pocket of his waistcoat and pulled out an extremely large pocket-watch and began rattling it a few times noisily, cutting off Gin unintentionally as he attempted to initiate the meeting again.

Wearily; his onyx eyes flitted across the room, he cleared his throat once more and entwined his thick, dark-skinned fingers together. "I would like to announce formally to everyone in this room that 'Sea-Mage' Orotooni is dead." Gin's words caused a colourful variety of mixed reactions, the Marines were taken back or grumbling their personal opinions on Orotooni's alliance, the Shichibukai muttered 'moron' and similar words with the exception of Tock, who was laughing himself to tears. "This is a serious matter, we had made sure there has been no media cover for this to make sure the Marines reputation will not be soiled."

Dark eyes examined Gin carefully. Raefal propped his head against the table and sighed almost pityingly. "To be honest, I never thought you Marines had much of a reputation to begin with."

"A snail can sleep for three years," Nikki abruptly cut in. She was automatically ignored.

Silverlock glanced at Raefal with a compose expression. "Love Raefal, you should learn to keep such comments to yourself. The Marines are at least more well-formed than you."

"What a pun," Tock sniggered. "Was it intentional?" He too was ignored.

"If you try to stop yourself from throwing up by closing your mouth, the vomit will just come out your nose," Nikki piped up again.

Belladonna sighed. "Who teaches the squirt all this trash?"

"There's nothing wrong with learning," August said gently. "Especially for one who is eager for knowledge."

"Her? Knowledge?" Raefal arched a pink-eyebrow. "August, I thought that you'd at least have some common sense."

As usual, the meetings with the Shichibukai drifted off-track. Gin rubbed his temples and stared longingly out the window, the sky was a deep royal blue with only a thin wispy cloud circling the sun. _It's a nice day to go fishing..._

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and pulled out several documents from a manilla folder, it contained profiles of possible candidates for the position of the seventh Shichibukai. Gin quickly filtered out impossible negotiators, names he had never heard of until there were only three papers left in front of him. He then returned to the noise of the room and slammed a beefy fist on the table, silencing everyone instantly. All pairs of eyes rolled towards him, some in disinterest, irritation or curiosity.

With a raw cough, Gin picked up the three remaining pirate details. "This meeting has been called for two reasons. Number one; to inform World Government leaders, the Admirals, and the Seven Warlords of the sea of our continuously troubling enemy- "Royal Coat" Himitsu, who has been mainly suspected to be Orotooni's killer. Also; the replacement Warlord that would have to quickly fill in the open position so a more mild story can be fabricated to cover up this event."

August nodded at the papers. "I see you already chosen."

"I would like for three of you to investigate these candidates and observe for yourself whether they seem worthy," Gin stood up from his seat and waved the profiles in his hand. "'Clockwork' Tock, Nicole Murcott and August, you three are in charge of this duty." He passed the sheets over and folded his hands behind his back. "There's nothing more I need to add to that. All of you are dismissed."

The Marine sitting at the far left scrambled to his feet. "Are you sure it is wise? Both Murcott and Clockwork are rather young to handle such an inspection, perhaps Silverlock or even Belladonna could instead..."

Gin turned, and stared with a blank gaze, though his heavy-lidded onyx eyes were filled with meaning. _I refuse to wake up everyday having to check there are no poisons hidden in my room or breakfast or have to deal with a flying kitchen knife during my morning 'peaceful' walk. I will trade the safety of two pirates to make that duo **leave** me alone in tranquillity for FIVE. FREAKING. MINUTES. DAMN. IT._

No one else had the heart to complain.

* * *

Three pairs of eyes stared at the dish in curiosity, disgust and slight concern. In front of them; Wake stood patiently for one of them to comment on the breakfast he so willingly cooked for them since none of the other members of _Titantic_ were able to get much far than a simple sandwich.

Anne's lip curled slightly, but quickly switched into a more bashful expression. "My my, Waltz! This sure is the most... unparalleled looking meal I had ever been served." She elbowed Brandy in the waist as indication for him to also make a review.

Instead, he shot her a glare. _Are you kidding me? You want me to do a Monroe and grin like a fucking clown, telling that retard how UNPARALLELED it is?_ Telepathic waves swam from his twitching eye to Anne's calm gaze.

_Yes, because he used half half the food resources I so kindly provided for you all and spent one whole hour preparing the meal. Have a heart and say something sugary, kid,_ the corner of Anne's lip flickered, but her smile was visibly pinned to her tanned face.

Brandy resisted the urge to slap his forehead with his hand. _Have a heart? You need a second stomach to chomp that... dog business. _An elbow slammed against Brandy's ribs and he winced in pain, burning fiery holes into Anne with all the mental power he could summon. Reluctantly; he faced the breakfast Wake had made and took one deep breath. "It's looks..." a long dramatic pause was held in the air. "...peachy."

A mental punch was propelled onto Brandy's jaw, all courtesy by Anne. _Peachy? It's that the best you can do when the food is purple?_

_Shut up! It's fucking unparalleled to _your_ comment!_

_..._

_...don't. Say. Anything._

Anne inwardly sighed and reached over to pat Wake on the arm. "Despite it looks extremely nourishing Waltz, I happen to be in a phase where most women would put themselves through in their youth," she said with a wink. "A diet. I'm afraid I can't get much past an apple and some water. Hope you're not offended."

The swordsman nodded, face fixed into its usual apathetic gaze. "...none taken."

Seethingly; Brandy hissed at the victorious retreating form of Anne who waved heartily before skipping out of the door, with a perfectly normal looking fresh apple in hand. _Damn you to hell._ He mouthed at her direction and glared at the dish. _Seriously, what fucking is it? Sushi with Dark Matter coated all over it? Stranger of the Shadow World the Fourth? Godzilla? One bite of that I bet I'll drop dead... damn, I need a doctor. No wait, I already have one. _"Oi Monroe, do you mind helping me and-"

Seth glanced up from a nearby counter with toxic-purple like substance pasted around her mouth. "And what?"

"YOU'RE ACTUALLY EATING IT?"

* * *

"Where have you _been_?" Krypt demanded, his face glowing red with fury and endless impatience.

The twenty-year-old man in front of him continued to smile, it was a very unnatural and disturbing twist of a mouth which fitted his face in an impossible manner. Even with the man's employer screaming at his face, the large, mocking smile never faltered. He inclined his head politely and picked up a gold trinket placed from a shelf.

"Where else? I was working," he replied, his deep green eyes inspecting the ornate designs which curved round the jewel. "Unfortunately; there was a pirate raid so I had a little trouble bringing everything back." He whipped round at his enraged boss and waved his hand chirpily. "Did I miss anything whilst I was gone?"

Kyrpt's eye twitched. "Miss anything?" he echoed darkly. "My ship was attacked by hooligans! That's what happened!" He threw his arms into the air and almost hit the smiling man, but even Krypt knew better. "And not even that Abbott Chorley is willing to help, that useless pink-eyed bastard!"

Juggling the ornament with one hand, the smiling employee settled himself against the wall. "You know, I do love our little chats and all. But I am not your doctor at all, Mr. Kyrpt. I'm your archaeologist."

"And how many archaeologists carry six weapons them?"

"Touché."

"I want you to catch those brats and bring them here, Tesler."

The corner of his cheshire grin rippled for less than a second, Tesler leaned off from the wall and placed the gold trinket back at its same position on the shelf. "Dear me Mr. Krypt, for a moment it sounded as if you wanted me to kidnap two silly children who just performed a little prank." He walked past the ship-owner casually. "If its out of defence I will be abiding, but besides that... my business with you is strictly on the terms of archaeology."

Kyrpt felt something inside him snap. "You _better_ bring me back those rascals, I know that you're fully aware of what I could do!"

His very words stopped Tesler at his tracks. Tension resonated through the room, a single candle light flickered without warning, causing light and shadow to jump about precariously across the two, along with the constant soft creaking of the ship as waves of water scrambled beneath it. Kyrpt felt a single drop of sweat tickle the side of his neck, but he made no move to wipe it away. With Tesler having his back to him, Kyrpt felt more cautious than ever- since this time, he could not even see the sinister smile.

"I have to admit Mr. Kyrpt," Tesler said lightly, spinning on the balls of his feet. "You are a very strong-willed person. That's most likely how you are able to even control the Marine soldier Abbott Chorley 'The Basilisk.'" He held out his hands to his defence and shrugged his shoulders. "As for me; I understand very well the consequences if I do the world a favour and get rid of you, so I suppose I have no other way round other than bringing those two children back, right?"

Slightly dazed, Krypt nodded. _Wait, did he say 'get rid of?'_

Tesler picked up his sleeveless black jacket from the chair he slung it across as he walked in. "Guess I'll be off then. I'll start with the boy first and then grab a bite to eat, if that is not too much of a problem."

"What, now?"

"Why not?"

When Kyrpt blinked, the smiling man was already gone. The door nor the window stayed closed for the entire time.

* * *

Gingerly pulling out the data sheet from his pocket, August scratched the back of his shaggy, dull-orange hair and read through the text quickly.

"Hello there, well, I can tell why they call you "Mountain King" Gordon, have I come in a bad time? You seem to be in the middle of having a meal with... a Sea King? Ah, wow, even I have not ever attempted fighting one- let alone eat one. Well, if it is not rude on my behalf, I'd like to introduce myself to you Gordon-san, I am Dakota J. August and has been employed by the Marines- ah, I'm sorry, you do not like the term? Well, I admit there are a few touchy members in the group but most of them are a friendly bunch. I had some drinks with them and woke up in a karaoke bar the next day... but they did not seem to bothered to have me with them. So, where I left off; I am part of the Ouka Shichibukai, and a position has recently opened up. The Marines- no? If you do not wish me to use the word, what else should I use? I see... the-white-coat-pieces-of-trash-who-I-will-decapitate-one-by-one... Anyhow; a spot is open up for any pirate to join, if you are interested then please comply to these rules: one, build up a large reputation- oh, I see you already have done so... secondly; pledge loyalty to World Government or create a pact with the Gorousei. Your actual job? Well, usually just to help keep balance of the Three Great Powers. Erm, no Gordon-san, you cannot attack the-white-coat-pieces-of-trash-who-I-will-decapitate-one-by-one, and no, I advise you not to call them the-white-coat-pieces-of-trash-who-I-will-decapitate-one-by-one, because they will be offended at the very least. The Celestial Dragons? Sorry, but if you become a warlord, it means you have to work on their side, and yes, that does mean you cannot accidentally kill any of the-white-coat-pieces-of-trash-who-I-will-decapitate-one-by-one just because a Celestial Dragon has commanded you so... Now; to get to the point, do we have a deal, Gordon-san?"

August saw a mighty giant fist at the size of an average human threw itself onto the ground a hairs breadth away from his nose, shaking the earth to its very core and violently trembling trees and the surrounding natural foundation.

"Was that a no?"

* * *

After losing in a game of rock-scissors-paper; Brandy ended up scrubbing Dark Matter off plates Wake used for cooking, whilst Seth dried them off with a fluffy white towel. The first twenty minutes went on wordlessly; the noise of cutlery clinking together and the bristled brush stroking roughly against the peculiar, unknown substance. Soap suds began to crawl up both of Brandy's arm but he made no attempt to wash it off, he glanced at Seth who happily placed the china plates onto their racks and spoke up. "Oi."

She turned to face him, a splodge of soap had smudged her cheek but she did not seem to notice. "Hm?"

"About Wake, you know he's a pirate, right?" Brandy confirmed.

He was responded with a simple nod of the head. "Uh huh."

"Don't you... have a problem with pirates or something?" Brandy slowly asked, eyebrows knitting together to form a serious expression- which did not work well with a cherry-red apron tied around his abdomen with fat, white letters scrawled across the front reading: _Kiss the Gay Cook_ as a combination. He recently had recalled a question which one of Seth's visitors had asked him:

_"And urchi- I mean young man, are you a pirate?"  
__Brandy frowned. "No."  
__"Good for you then," Harley said without much emotion in her voice._

Musing to herself; Seth hummed a short tune. She vacantly dried two more soaked plates and gave Brandy a beaming, warm smile. "Just a few, but of course I can trust Seppuku-dono!"

"Why's that?" Brandy interrogated.

"Because anyone who drinks tea can't be a bad person!"

"Your philosophy's absolute shit!"

Despite the harshness to the comment; Seth laughed to herself and began towelling stains of soapy water off her apron which had began to drip onto the floor. It was baby-blue in colour with dark blue text: _Free Hugs_. Brandy mentally noted that he was never going to accept free gifts from Anne ever again.

"And doesn't your sister wanting to become a pirate?" Seth broke his chain of thoughts abruptly.

The very poorly written letter signed by Rum came to mind. "...suppose so."

"If she's related to you Captain Urchin, then I'm sure she's not a bad person either," she resolved, continuing with her memorised pantomime of wiping cutlery clean and setting it onto a brimming rack.

"Seriously, there's something wrong with you..."

"And I think there's something wrong about this dish as well," an unfamiliar voice piped up behind them. Both Brandy and Seth whipped their heads round and saw a young man perched on the edge of the dining table, holding a plate of leftovers from Wake's cooking, he gulped down the food and contemplated on it whilst swaying his head left to right. "Yes... I guess there's a little too much salt in it."

"FORGET THAT! HOW CAN YOU _EAT_ SUCH A MESSED-UP LOOKING PILE OF TRASH IN THE FIRST PLACE?" Brandy exclaimed.

The dark-haired twenty-year-old took another spoonful of the food, a large smile etched onto his face. "Why, you should never judge a book by its cover, isn't that right?"

"IT'S GOT PURPLE FUMES COMING OUT OF IT!"

"Hasn't purple always been known to be a royal colour?" he argued gently, settling the plate next to him. "My compliments to the chef."

Seth bobbed her head in a childish fashion. "Yes, sir!"

"Don't join in!" Brandy snapped and clouted her on the side of her head. "And what are you doing here anyway? _How_ did you get here?" He demanded at the stranger, he was very sure that he left Wake sitting out on the crow's nest, and Anne's room was not too far from the kitchen so she too should have detected an intruder. Brandy wearily studied the older man for weapon, he counted two visible knives and a ninjato sticking at the side of a belt.

The man hopped off from the table and took a short, curt bow. "John Tesler, at your service." He raised his head; a crafty smile painted onto his face which gave off a hint of menace. "Though I usually work as an archaeologist for a mass-trading ship, I sometimes get involved into small side-jobs as well." Brandy blinked once and saw a blade next to his neck. "Like this for a example..."

Both Brandy and Seth jumped several paces away opposite from each other, from the sudden change of position of the stranger. The smile stretching impossibly wider, he turned to face the teal-haired teenager with his ninjato dancing from his right to left hand in a continuous manner.

Gritting his teeth; Brandy await to trigger the carbon blade from his prosthetic leg. "Monroe, tear this place apart!"

Automatically did the doctor grab the first thing next to her which happened to be a refrigerator, she yanked it from its position and created a thunderous clutter as she barraged it to where Tesler stood. He swiftly took several steps backwards and Brandy took the chance to attack with the cover of flying rubble. The blade flicked out and he aimed his leg at Tesler's chest, but he was gone at the blink of an eye.

Cursing, Brandy jerked to see over his shoulder and saw Tesler behind him with the ninjata held over his head. Seth threw a chair at the archaeologist who once again disappeared.

"How the hell's he doing that?" Brandy demanded.

"Don't you believe in magic?" Tesler asked lightly, sitting on the kitchen counter.

Seth replied by showering him with punches, explosions of tiles, plaster and wood sprayed around the room. Even with the dangerously powerful attacks raining onto Tesler, he would not stop grinning. His black hair fluttered as Seth narrowly missed catching his head, she then impelled her foot in front of her to control her movements to mirror his and launch another killer punch. Seconds before discharging him through five walls and into the ocean, he vanished. She broke a naked wall into pieces, and a force behind her nudged her forward without much effort. She stumbled a few steps and was ebbed out of sight under the falling remnants of the wall and some of the ceiling.

Everything happened too quickly for Brandy to even react. His mouth opened to form words and finally found the name, "Monr-" The rest of it never came out as he felt a strange sickening sensation from his gut. Quivering green eyes fell to the blade jutting out of his stomach. "Y-You..."

Behind him, Tesler patted his shoulder. "I hold no grudge against you, but being nice to one person does not mean it is possible to be nice to everyone else."

The kitchen was meant to be one of the brightest room of all the cabins, but it seemed to be dulling quite quickly, as if an opaque object was covering over the bulbs. Brandy fought away the drowsy temptation which intoxinated him. "D-Damn you... you fucking... smiling... clown..."

Tesler laughed and drew the blade out of the wound. "You very nearly got my 'other' name right." He watched Brandy drop to the floor and cleaned his sword with the fluffy white towel Seth was using not long ago. "'Reaper Smile' John Tesler, at your service Mr. One-Shot."

A thick, sludge black painted over Brandy's vision. He was out cold.

* * *

**Archaeologist scored only one mark on the poll, lol the only reason I decided to put him up next. I wanted to celebrate I had a full cast list for the Shichibukai by putting this up... only to realise I introduced nine new character (not including Tock or "Mountain King" Gordon) all in one chapter. Sorry for all the confusion, and of course if I royally screwed any of the OCs.**

**Besides the fact the scene-changing doesn't exactly flow, I am strangely satisfied with this chapter. Hell I'd know why.**

**And so~ positions required!**

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa_**_  
Chef- _**_taken by Bearded Zeus_**_  
Doctor- _**_taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _**_  
Musician/Entertainer_**_- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines-_** Positions open!**_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
_**_-_**_Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
__**-**? Blanca Rose  
_**_Enemy Crew_**- Positions open!_  
_**_-_**_Astaro Pirates- (spoilers)  
_**_-_**_Royal__ Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu_**_  
Ally Crew- _**Positions open!_  
_**_-_**_Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron_ Positions open!_  
_**_-_**_Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones_**_  
_****Shichibukai- all taken**_  
- taken by Happy2Bme  
-taken by Lururi  
-taken by Threedimensional  
-taken by Q Bone  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain  
-taken by IndigoWinter  
-taken by Daisy Alligator _

**Please see Chapter 1 for the OC form! And also, if possible could you cut down on hyperactive people? There's quite a lot coming in now...**


	7. Pursuit VI: Fickle Archaeologist

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit VI: Fickle Archaeologist

Never had Brandy woken up and wished he was dead. Pain was scorching through his spine from where the blade had cut into, his stomach was miserably churning and his legs twitched in agony. "Well that doesn't cane..." he grumbled, attempting to study his surroundings with drunkard eyes. The room was clean, empty and small, a small chair was next to him with an enamel bowl of water, a damp towel hanging out from its rim. He suddenly remembered the last thing he saw before passing out. "Damn it, the fucking doctor!" Out of impulse, Brandy shot out of the bed, and instantly lost footing, crashing to the floor.

His wound howled with injustice, and his body no longer decided to cooperate to his torturous commands. Limp on the floor, Brandy bared his teeth, pushing the aching wound out of his mental world. _Breath Brandy, breath._ His eye rolled around the dark room, blinking as sweat dripped onto the lids. _Breath, calm down and get up. _He kept whispering to himself like it was a mantra. _Breath Brandy, breath._

Then suddenly; the door in front of him began violently shaking. Jerking his head up in horror, Brandy heard a jagged key shoved into the lock and the knob being twisted open, yet his limbs still stubbornly stayed flat on the floor. Leaving him defenceless.

_Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. _The door jerked and was flung open. _DAMN IT!_

* * *

Next to the great market-vessel was a smaller, humble ship with a built in crane. It lifted exports high up onto the deck of the hulking craft where burly grunt workers took them to be sold on the correct deck. Three sturdy men were heaving a large crate together en route around the bustling of vendors and buyers. The crate was to be taken to the lower levels, it contained china crockery of animals, all invaluable and very heavy, causing the carriers to sweat and grumble throughout the entire journey. Behind them, a small red-haired teenager was easily following the three ahead with another crate on her shoulders.

She began to itch her head and was instantly slapped on the wrist.

"Don't mess with the disguise," Anne reminded her. "And I don't think it's very inconspicuous to carry a container by yourself which three grown men are heaving trouble with." She was dressed up in a man's working shirt and shorts, a large hat was pressed over her head, shading her face. "Nemuri, how about you give Doctor a hand?"

Obediently; Wake approached the two and felt the burdensome weight of half the cargo fall onto his hands. He blinked behind the fake glasses he was borrowing and shuffled onwards behind the grunt workers.

Harley joined Anne, agitation marked clearly on her facial features. "Whatever you're doing, please tell me it's not involving blowing up this market-ship. I have a business to run, you know."

"We are planning nothing of the sort," Anne reassured, adjusting the depleted belt which wrapped round her waist. "Our only goal is to save our damsel in distress." She gave the middle-aged merchant a sly wink. "Of course it does not mean we're not going to avoid Mr. Krypt for a nice chat." Harley looked as if she was ready to enter a serious breakdown. "Be more calm, Harley-san. You're looking suspicious..." Anne then gently touched the woman's arm. "Since you kindly let us sneak here, we will make sure that you will not be harmed or involved with what we're going to do here."

Harley nodded once, and wearily looked both ways. "Just be careful... that archaeologist of his may told you about this place, but that does not mean-"

"We'll be _fine_," Anne said with a bright smile. "Now, I'm sure you have affairs to attend to. I sure have some myself!" She quickly spun round and briskly walked away, melting into a crowd of young men who were chewing cheerfully on sticky toffee apples. Her expression altered into a stern and slightly confused face. _It really is worrying about the loyalties of Krypt's archaeologist..._Anne clearly remembered her meeting with him at the kitchen on _Titantic_ two nights ago.

_A tanned, ebony-haired twenty-year-old with spiky black hair which was stylized to shade over his left eye smiled in a doubtful fashion. A twinkling green eye registered both Anne's and Wake's appearance at the door, with their weapons at the ready. __He held out one hand in defence, the other was holding Brandy's limp body over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I only came for this chap. I mean no harm to anyone else."_

_Anne's facial expression tightened. "Where is the Doctor?" She was then poked by the swordsman who pointed at the pile of collapsed rubble, a brightly-coloured flower was half squashed underneath a piece of plaster. "Oh..."_

_"If you want this lad back, come visit Allister Krypt's market-ship," the grinning man chirped. "Your little friend there knows where it is, so hurry up and collect him before something happens." He then vanished into thin air, leaving the other two staring at the empty space for several seconds._

Chewing on her bottom lip, Anne observed the security on each deck. _Why would he give us that information?_ She saw Seth and Wake ascend the stairs to the quarterdeck, both nodding at her in indication they were ready for the next plan.

"None of us here knows much about this ship or Krypt himself," Anne said softly. "I'm going to go look around for information, I would appreciate it you two stayed behind and helped Harley-san, just as repayment for risking us to board here."

Wake stared at her blankly. "...shouldn't we search together? It's safer."

Next to him, Seth joined in. "Like he said, we should do it together!"

Raising her arms in a defensive manner, Anne tried to mentally will them down. "It's erm... less suspicious if only one of us go, and I have some experience as well in this sort of field so you two have nothing to worry," she gave them a reassuring wink. "If I find anything interesting, I'll come report to you two." Before they could protest anymore, Anne drew away from them and waved once over her head, she hauled onto the lower decks of the vessel, feeling the temperature rise increasingly with the stuffy atmosphere and crowd of people.

_With the doctor's childish mentality and Waltz' inability to remember things, it'll be a complete disaster if I bring them along,_ Anne silently voiced, searching for a good place to start. She saw a group of dirty-smeared children flicking marbles across the ground, huddled behind a fruit stall. The young woman approached them and knelt down next to a copper-haired boy.

"Do your parents work here?" she asked kindly. All of them nodded, and quickly returned to the game. "Then do you mind telling onee-chan here about this place?"

Meanwhilst; four decks below at a closed off, private corridor, a young man with coal-black hair passed the guards who allowed him to freely parade through without even demanding an identification card. He climbed a secluded staircase which snaked up to a selection of oak-panelled doors, the man passed every one of them and strolled into the cabin at the highest peak of the stairs, leading to a luxurious and large office filled with invaluable treasures and antiques. The owner of the room glowered at the guest.

"How many times do I have to remind you to knock?" Krypt snapped, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper.

Grinning as usual; Tesler settled himself down on a velvet armchair. "Just thought you might want the latest updates for the job you gave me," he said, catching his employer's attention instantly. "Brandy One-Shot I successfully brought over, Rum One-Shot not so successful."

"What do you mean? She can't have been strong enough to defeat _you_," Krypt shot out of his seat, already had jumped into horrifying conclusions. "She didn't... did she?"

A mysterious glint lit up in Tesler's apple-green eye, he sank deeper into the softness of the chair and threw his feet up on a stool. "Let's say, I came in a bad time," he said tactfully. "In fact, I suppose I had appeared an extremely bad time." As evidence, he held up his left arm which was wrapped tightly in starchy white bandages.

Arching an eyebrow at the archaeologist; Krypt folded his arms. "What do you mean?"

The baleful grin spanned further, emitting a blackening aura which creeped along the shy shadows of the room. "She was in the middle of a friendly tea-party with a surprising guest..." he trailed off for effect and then cupped his mouth, voicelessly mouthing a single name which made the ship-owner's blood run icy cold.

Pale in the face; Krypt's legs gave way and he landed onto his chair. "A-A-Are you serious? Why on earth would a lowlife like her meet someone like _him_?"

* * *

It was a sunny and comfortable midday; the ship slowly rocked like a crib whilst the waves sung a sweet lullaby to the pirates on board, all sprawled out on different area of the deck. A slightly lanky, tanned adult with a Jolly Roger stamped on his left cheek and sported dull-orange hair, politely stepped over one man whose upper half of his body was covered by the fallen piece of the ragged sail.

"Nikki."

The black-haired warlord was attempting to retie her ebony locks back into twin pigtails using pearly white ribbons, the 'mirror' she was using was the overturned side of a polished cannon. "Uh huh."

"Wasn't our job meant to inspect and observe to see that our chosen candidate would make a suitable Shichibukai?"

"Uh huh."

"So, is there a reason why there is blood coming out of his eyes and mouth?"

Nikki thought hard for an answer. "Nu uh," she decided with.

August slapped his forehead and avoided eye-contact with the corpse, it the same distorted revulsion on its face as the rest of the crew members, all with a large puddle of dried blood by their heads where it had escaped through their unblinking eyes and open mouths. However, besides that, the ship was in perfect condition- nothing which could not be fixed with a swab of a mop and a bucket of soapy water. Nikki was always one who managed to deal with her fights in a very clean and tidy manner- though August was not sure whether it was a good thing to compliment her with.

"I'm going to look for Tock-kun," August told her and hopped off the ship, settling back into his small boat and set the sail, easing through the water at a pacey speed. "Hopefully; he found someone quite formidable to join the Mari- oops, I forgot that I shouldn't be using that word." The air smelt sweet, tangy and fresh compared to the bitter salty ocean beneath. A gentle smile broke out on August's face and he sat forward on the boat, taking in its nectarous scent. "It's a nice day, don't you think Mr. Mountain King?"

Behind him, a large, almost dazed giant follow him, towering over the cliffs and needle-shaped rocks which tore from the ocean floor- but cowered in fear behind the warlord's tiny boat, which could easily be crushed with a single hand, he quickly nodded and continued to wade.

* * *

"Oh my, he's awake!"

"Of course he'd be with all the racket you were making."

"Wow, isn't he a cute one."

Brandy's eyes widened as the small, cramped room quickly filled up with a tidal wave of faces women. Beautiful, young, women in bright kimonos. They cooed over him, pinching his cheeks and patting his hair as if he was a lost puppy. An eyebrow twitched and Brandy summoned all the energy in his body to lash out violently- which somehow only made his audience giggle out of his comical action.

He glowered at them and attempted to sit up- to no avail. "Where in bloody hell am I?"

A heart-shaped girl inclined her head. "What makes you think this is hell?"

"I feel like my stomach's going to fucking open and I'm going delusional that my rescuers are clones of Sherry," Brandy snapped. "So where am I?"

Someone piped up near the back of the crowd. "Can't you tell?"

In puzzlement; Brandy furrowed his eyebrows, he recalled Tesler's face and wondered how it linked to... his current company. "An assassin's base?" His assembly shrieked with laughter at his serious conclusion. "What's so funny? You're not going to tell?" He glowered at them darkly, a usual face he would pull to scare off others, unfortunately it had no effect on the women surrounding him who watched him as if he was a comedy show.

A teenage girl around the same age as Brandy knelt down next to him and whispered one word into his ear.

His reaction sent the women laughing themselves to tears.

* * *

Eyebrows knitting together, Anne leaned closer to the little boy. "A second ship?" she echoed.

He shrugged. "Something like that," he muttered quietly. "Krypt always leaves at random times to go somewhere, he always takes the same scary man with him an-" he was cut off by a scolding mother who took him by the ear and dragged him away, not sparing Anne a single glance.

A butcher whose stall was situated opposite the scene beckoned Anne over, as she walked he hacked a slab of meat on the wooden bench. "Don't get involved, Krypt has dangerous people working for him. Not the type a young girl like you can handle," he pointed his knife at her in a slightly threatening manner.

The corner of Anne's lips began curling in an amused fashion. "We'll see about that," she simpered and continued walking. _They don't want outsiders to find out about Krypt since their businesses will go corrupt along with his_ she thought to herself. _I need to find the right kind of person to tell me..._ she saw a portly, heavily muscular man guarding a shabby little door, people stayed at least a 5 metre radius away from it. _He'll do!_ Smiling to her satisfaction, Anne started to approach him.

"Excuse me, may I have a word?" Anne asked amiably, behind her back she dug a small knife onto her index finger, allowing a trickle of blood to dribble from the wound.

* * *

Nervously; Krypt took a short walk on the upper-deck of his ship. He constantly fiddled with the latch of his watch and rubbed the back of his neck, eyes flitting left and right, this did not go unnoticed by his employee.

"Agitated, sir?" Tesler inquired.

"Of course not!"

Tesler was thoroughly amused and pushed on further. "I am unable to fathom what you're going to do with that One-Shot junior, being a nephew of an Admiral and all..." he lets his words sink in slowly. "Don't you think you're overdoing it, Mr. Krypt? Or are you willing to risk your own career just to destroy a life of one person?"

Craning his neck; Krypt threw a foreboding glare over his squared shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something, but instantly clamped up. Jerking his head away, Krypt continued to stalk forwards and crashed into a red-haired girl who was carrying a large sack under an arm.

"Watch it!" he snapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" a familiar, peppy voice chirped.

Krypt squinted at the girl and looked past her long cherry fringe, seeing large dark eyes, freckles sprayed across the face and a sunny smile. "M-Monroe?" he staggered backwards. "Seth Monroe!" His brain quickly clicked into gear, Seth being the last person with Brandy would have only came back to the market ship for one thing only. _How the hell did she find out?_ He grabbed Tesler by the front of his sleeveless black jacket and pointed a finger at the disguised girl. "Take her down! She knows!"

Tilting his head to one side; Tesler offered no acknowledgement to the order. "Knows what?"

"Just get rid of her, damn it!"

At first Tesler did not move at all, his sinister smile was frozen on his face and arms were limp at his side. However, in less than a heartbeat did Seth find herself being thrown into the air and crashed into a row of stalls. Vendors and vendees went into panic and went into a riot, knocking down other make-shift stands by accident and almost trampling on others, they saw the sight of the well-known archaeologist of Allister Krypt and quickly dispersed from the deck.

Harley's grunt workers shared confused faces, they awaited anxiously for their leader to tell them to retreat as well. Unfortunately; the woman was currently torn between giving aid to her long-time client or saving herself. "Oh my- this is- oh dear- how should- this is-" Harley's skin was lightening to a milky white, clearly under a lot of distress.

In front of her 'Nemuri' took off his glasses and allowed them to break as they smashed against the floor. "You should escape..." he told her and drew his titanic sword from under several bags of salt, shifting into an offensive stance, he lifted the heavy blade into the air. "Escape..." he repeated again, and reluctantly made Harley order her men to follow her down the crane and back onto the ship. Wake waited until he heard the lever descend to the bottom. **"Sonatakeishiki: Jukansho."** (_Sonata Form: Recurring) _A hundred slashes of compressed air rained towards the enemy direction, Tesler grabbed onto Krypt and disappeared. They reappeared again several metres away.

"Wh-What was _that_?" Krypt shrieked.

"Who knows sir, would you like to ask him?" Tesler queried lightly.

Before the screen of dust and rubble evaporated, Wake helped Seth pull herself out underneath a broken pile of wood. She dusted off splinters from the baggy leaf-green shirt she was wearing and took a quick inspection at the long gash on her shoulder, it was not very deep.

The two exchanged glances. "So, which one of us is going to tell Map we're caught out?" she asked.

Wake blinked at her and lowered Enigma a little from its assault position. "...who are you again?"

Those very words made Seth decided that it was going to be her. At the very least, even if Wake would forget who his comrades were, where he was or what even his name was, he had never seemed to forget how to fight- it was unclear whether that was entirely a good thing.

She patted the older man on his arm and gave him a merry grin. "I'll leave this to you Seppuku-dono! Good luck!" Seth then turned on the balls of her feet and ran to the nearest staircase which descended deeper into the ship.

Krypt instantly shouted, "Don't let her escape!"

"I might find that a little tricky, Mr. Krypt," Tesler replied, gesturing to the silver-haired swordsman who stationed himself in front of the fading figure of his companion. "Oh well, I might enjoy this all the same." His malicious smile widened across his face and reached for a ninjato which hung round his belt. "I advise you to stand back, sir."

At the same time Wake spread his feet apart, and brought Enigma close to his body. He saw Seth clearly being propelled by an unknown blur, most likely being the man before him, the only problem is to figure out what was the secret. Firstly Wake piqued on his surroundings and took in its familiarity; the salty air, the soft creaking below, the rustle of his black coat. N_o wait..._

Tesler launched an attack, so fast that Wake almost missed it. He barely had enough time to bring his sword back to defend himself. _...I'm not wearing... my usual clothes._ In fact, he was dressed in plain, cotton clothes of black and blue. Using the weight of his weapon, Wake shoved his opponent away and placed a hand on his head, feeling only the crown of his head.

"...hat."

* * *

**At the end, due to endless frustration I am uploading this chapter's outline. Ho-oly duck, did it take me a whole two months? **

**However, I shall proudly announce I get to write about Seth in battle-mode on the next update~**

**I think I am just as obsessed as Wake is of his hat...**

**Oh yeah, please visit my new poll when possible :D**

**PS Fanart~ This one is a sketchdump, Gin, Sherry, Brandy, Rum, Wake, Seth and Anne are somewhere on it... I wonder if you can find them lol **allenxwalkersxenemy(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d307n16**  
And amazingess~ Artemst had also done fanart XD it's purely epic! **hitsugaya-koorihana(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d32hfwu

**And so~ positions required!**

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa_**_  
Chef- _**_taken by Bearded Zeus_**_  
Doctor- _**_taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _**_  
Musician/Entertainer_**_- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines-_** Positions open!**_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
_**_-_**_Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
__**-**? Blanca Rose  
_**_Enemy Crew_**- Positions open!_  
_**_-_**_Astaro Pirates- (spoilers)  
_**_-_**_Royal__Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu_**_  
Ally Crew- _**Positions open!_  
_**_-_**_Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron, Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ Positions open!_  
_**_-_**_Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones  
_**_-_**_Hero DeMont (single-man pirate) _**_  
_****Shichibukai- all taken**_  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator_

**Please see Chapter 1 for the OC form! And also, if possible could you cut down on hyperactive people? There's quite a lot coming in now...**


	8. Pursuit VII: Pulling Strings

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit VIII: Pulling Strings

**_Recap_:** _Brandy_ has been kidnapped by _Allister Krypt_'s employee; _John Tesler_ and is in an unknown place brimming with young women. His 'crew' is in the middle of rescuing him, _Anne_ acting as the detective and trying to track down Brandy's exact whereabouts, _Wake_ and _Seth_ were caught in the act by Krypt and ended up with Tesler as their opponent. Wake is currently battling him whilst Seth is trying to find Anne and tell her the problem.

* * *

The pink-haired male twiddled the fountain pen between his index finger and thumb. "I feel almost sorry for you," he said in a blatantly empty voice. "The chance of your wish to fill in the missing Shichibukai seat is probably the same to the idea that you'll finally grow hair again." He dropped the pen, letting it hit the floor. "One's been thoroughly traumatized, another dead by poisoning and the third had been signed off to hell."

The irritation inside Gin did not surface. "The third is still capable."

Rafael's black eyes stared at him, unblinking like a doll. "You've sent that psychological brat after him. He's not going to live." He reconsidered his words. "Unless he sacrifices his sanity."

The Admirals' equally dark eyes fell to the WANTED poster sitting at his desk. Blue-tinged white hair, tanned skin and dark eyes. A rather unique looking man. Perfect for the ill-assorted Shichibukai.

"He'll live," Gin said firmly.

Rafael snorted. "He'll rather die at the end."

"I didn't ask you to come here so you can criticize my work," the dark-skinned Marine snapped, pulling a manilla file from a drawer. "You're going to do some private work for me."

A single word was imprinted at the corner of the file. _Pinocchio_.

Pink eyes raised slightly. "Why, I feel so _honoured_ to be pulling my weight for you respectable, sincere, righteous... bunch of dimwits." He departed from the desk and began stalking towards the door. "Get Silverlock to do it, it'll be like vacation for her."

"Rafael," Gin muttered in a dangerously soft voice.

"I agreed to negotiate with you Marines, but I never said I'll become your seadog," Rafael said, twisting the door knob. "Next time, call me when it's Clockwork's funeral."

"Rafael."

"Shocks too. Definately Shocks."

"_Rafael_."

"In fact, your brother's in a state too isn't he? I don't mind going to his as we-"

"RAFAEL! BEFORE I RIP EVERY STRAND OF YOUR DELIRIOUSLY PINK HAIR FROM YOUR HEAD AND TURN IT INTO A WIG FOR MY NIECE, TAKE THE DAMN FILE AND DO THE JOB!"

Even so, _both_ of them ended up visiting the hospital wing before getting back to their work.

* * *

A man in his mid thirties with tawny-coloured hair and a pair of taped glasses ushered the curious girls from the sickroom.

"How's our patient?" one asked.

The man impatiently flapped his hands. "He's resting! Now back to work before the Doc comes after us!"

"Come on Yasu, why do only _you_ get to see him? We want to wish him better too!"

A weary sigh escaped the man's lips and he began to pinch the bridge of his nose. "You know, it's all _your_ fault that his wound re-opened."

* * *

Her narrowing brown eyes scanned through the large-scale drawings in her hands in a hurried fashion. The guard she had a 'chat' with had gave her the location of the small, dark office which contained a lot of coded writing. She had no time to decrypt anything and merely rummaged through whatever seemed readable, a finalized design of a ship was what she discovered, and it was not of their ship. The blue-prints shown a ship half the size of the market vessel, powered by an engine sitting on the first deck absorbing lightning to keep the ship afloat.

Anne did the maths quickly in her head, the second ship- _My Lady_ wouldn't be too far away from directly above her. Though; as a human, it was almost impossible for her to reach there unless she had wings or... _Doctor._

Folding the map neatly and stuffing it into her pocket; Anne prepared to leave the restricted corridor before anyone spotted her, then she saw a stack of files clipped together, half hidden underneath fading paper. Curiously she picked it up and flicked through it, her eyes widened a little and confusion curled her eyebrows, the latest notes read:

_Test results from taking 2g of saturated Pinocchio: 18 deaths, 10 ill without explanation and 4 without change. Dosage will increase on group 6 and next results will be taken in 17 days._ Next page. _group 11 remains as control group._

Something suspicious to pin Krypt with. _Nice._ She decided to take it too, and snuck out of the room and back towards the bustling wave of people. She quickly hid behind barrels of rum when she saw two men clad in cheap suits shuffle by talking in low murmurs.

"So what, we're going to have to find a single _kid_ in this entire hell-hole?" one asked irritably.

His partner shrugged. "Orders just came through a moment ago; she's apparently a sparky little thing with insane strength. Not so hard to find apparently."

When they were about to melt into the busy lanes of the market, something slashed their back with a sudden crack and crumpled the pair of them to the floor without a groan. Anne let her bloody whip return into the cut of her finger before applying a bandage. She heaved a sigh. "Guess the Doctor got caught out..."

Anne slipped into the crowd and briskly retraced her steps to the first deck, but as she reached the third floor a hand grasped onto her shoulder. Out of impulse she drew out a dagger and pressed it against the stranger's throat- or not such a stranger.

"Map, we're in trouble!" Seth exclaimed breathlessly, ignoring the blade pressed against the nape of her neck. "Seppuku-dono and I've been found out!"

Anne stuffed the dagger back on her belt and peered over the sandy-haired doctor's shoulder. "Where _is_ our lovely samurai anyway?" she inquired.

"Fighting Mr. Smiley," Seth replied, and for emphasis she stretched the corners of her lips to an impressively large and thoroughly creepy smile. "He's forgot who he is again too." Referring to Wake.

However Anne wasn't listening anymore, she was calculating. Seth was all Anne needed to be able to reach _My Lady_ and holding back one of Krypt's supposedly dangerous employees would be helpful in the process. _But is it fair for us to leave Waltz on his own?_ She resisted the urge to bite onto her fingernail out of anxiety and slowly turned back to her patient comrade.

"We're going to save Brandy One-Shot, now," Anne stated firmly. "Waltz is going to have to hold up at his end." As the two began moving towards narrower streets, Anne sent out a silent apology. _I hope you can live up to your 34,000,000 beri name, Sleeping Curse._

* * *

The woman was probably only just a little over 20-years-old, yet she was a frail as any elderly woman coming near her death, almost drowning in the layers of clothes she wore to fight one-sidedly against the calm weather. Her dulling red hair seemed to be fading by the day, it no longer glowed against her cream skin which was now a chalky white, stretched over her bones tightly, giving her an almost impoverished appearance. Yet, her gold eyes shone brightly like sparkling treasure. Pirate treasure.

She hopped onto the boat, two of her comrades following ensuite. The man who helped her down did his best to keep the concern off his face, it wouldn't have been noticeable anyway with his long curtain of coal black hair.

"Captain, you should still be resting," he spoke evenly. "I would be more than happy to go with Tassles myself t-" he was unable to finish his sentence as a flying kick almost locked itself to his jaw.

A young girl who could have easily been his sister with her dark hair and forest-green eyes frowned at him childishly. "Heya Shiro! Missing someone? Re-correct yourself right now! 'I would be more than happy to go with Tassles _and_ Azu!' You left me out on purpose didn't you? Meanie! Bully! Dog-kicker! Podsol! Aquatard! Ho-"

The Captain let out a cough for attention, the girl next to her instantly fell silent. "Now then," said the red-haired woman softly. "Shiro, you have nothing to worry about. I assure you I would be in no danger in a market or find anyone who'd pose any threat to me, besides I am protected." She paused to stare at her two companions on the same boat as her. "In fact, I feel I'd be protecting them from the citizens, rather than the other way round."

It was meant to be a joke, but Shiro as always took it quite seriously. "That's exactly the problem, Captain."

Captain Marie Foster smiled sweetly and tucked her hands behind her back. "We'll back back soon Shiro," she said and turned her back to him, a sign that their conversation was coming to a close. "Mind the ship for me, you know how our boys like to play with fire when I'm not around."

Next to her, the green-eyed girl stuck her tongue out at the slowly shrinking figure of Shiro. "When we get back I'll finish my fight with you and I promise I'll have the entire front deck mopped up by your _hair_ so mentally prepare yourself for utter humiliation Mr. I-Seriously-Need-A-Hug-But-Will-Never-Get-One!" she hollered at the top of her voice without a single pause. She wasn't even out of breath.

On the opposite side of Foster was the third companion, clad in a large jacket with gold tassels.

"You look thoughtful today, Tassles," Foster pointed out, ducking down gracefully as the green-eyed girl soared over her in a flying cartwheel.

A shrug of the shoulders was given in response, and nothing else.

Their boat reached the nearby market-ship and they climbed aboard onto the top deck, they blatantly ignored the fact that explosions of rubble was bursting from the deck they were approaching, splinters of wood sprayed into the air and the sound of clashing blades screamed a horrid duet.

They reached to the floor without trouble and stared at the emptiness around them. Then Wake and Tesler soaring past with swords whistling.

"A special event?" the green-eyed girl suggested.

"I'm not quite sure Azura, there are hardly any spectators about," Foster said thoughtfully, eyes scanning the wreckage about her. "Ah wait, I see someone." She waved her hand at a figure crouched behind a limp stall. "Excuse me sir, is the market still open today?"

Krypt hesitantly poked his head out from behind the cart of trodden fruit, he squinted at the three figures for a while, debating whether he should go up to them or just continue to hide. All three of them were females, contrasting each other sharply, but since they were standing next to each other in a group Krypt guessed they were closely acquainted. _Hang on a sec._ Krypt narrowed his eyes at them, slowly recognizing a few loud features on their appearances. _Pirates. I have pirates on my ship. The freaking Gold-Blood Pirates as well, damn it._

He was tempted to scream for Tesler, until something stopped him. An marvellous idea just came to his head.

Waving frantically back to Foster, Krypt shouted out in a distressed voice, "Help me please! I sprained my ankle!"

Azura glanced at her captain. "Do we help him? He looks pretty worthless." Tassles seemed to be stifling a laugh but made no voiced comment.

"Now now, an innocent man is hurt, of course we help him," Foster announced, already making her way towards the stall. "Coming right over sir!"

Whilst Foster busied herself with supporting the injured victim, Azura's eyes trailed towards where the two swordsmen were still in a full rage of a war against each other, not caring how much damage they were causing to their surroundings.

She nudged Tassles and pointed at the battlefield. "Should we help?"

However, their leader called out to them seconds before Azura's dark-haired companion replied.

"Come on Azura, Tassles, we are standing in a middle of a crisis," Foster informed. "This poor man, Mr. Krypt just had his ship unlawfully attacked by dangerous pirates, two of which are still hidden somewhere on the lower decks causing havoc."

_Aren't _we_ dangerous pirates?_

Foster then gave Krypt a kind smile. "That's why I had decided to offer our services to him in forcing these pirates to a retreat."

A small, oily-skinned man suddenly threw himself out from one of the remaining unscathed stairs and stumbled his way towards Krypt's direction, stopping only once to avoid getting swept away into the storm of the battle between Wake and Tesler.

"S-Sir!" he spluttered, almost collapsing in front of his employer's feet. "S-S-Someone beaten up Fras... really bad..." he flinched when Krypt's facial expression began to twist darkly. "A-And then... br-broke into the third record room... st-stealing the blueprints for _M-My Lady_."

The information quickly processed through Krypt's brain, by no doubt Brandy One-Shot's rescuers had found out about the ship, _and possibly more_. He felt beads of cold sweat build on the back of his neck which he hastily wiped away. Still, if he acted fast enough he could still have the upper hand and get everything smooth again.

He turned his attention to Foster who stood patiently for his conversation with the messenger to end.

"Miss Foster, I know where the other two pirates are," Krypt said gravely. "If possible, I'd like you to get them before they do something with my second ship."

Without warning, something spun past him like an accelerating wheel. "Wow you have a second ship does that mean you're filthy rich or actually a pirate in disguise?" Azura gabbled as she cartwheeled round the small group as supple as water.

The messenger blinked in surprise, he never thought his employer would ever talk so politely, he studied the three females slowly, face creasing as he was not sure whether he was confident in what he was seeing.

Allister Krypt was resting his hopes onto a young woman (or was she male?) with inky hair that looked as if it was cut by a blind man, dressed in a tassled coat and gave an overall impression that she just walked out of a lunatic asylum without her medication. The youngest of the trio was downright weird with her inhumanly fast speech (and no pauses) and her odd habit of constantly cartwheeling despite all the splinters and rubble in her way. The messenger then paused at the third, the one who looked like the leader.

_She doesn't look so bad._

The red-haired leader-like woman abruptly threw up a fountain of bright red blood all over Krypt and fell backwards.

"Captain!" Azura wailed, coming to her sickly skipper's aid. "Captain, hang in there!"

On the other hand, Tassels caught everyone by even more surprise by bursting out in manic laughter. "PUHWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" the laugh -_no_ the shriek was something in between a psychotic homicide on a killing spree and a maniac who just lost the last cog.

"Captain, open your sickly eyes!" ignoring her insane comrade, Azura continued to shake the quivering Foster.

What surprised the messenger even more that Krypt didn't even say a damn word.

* * *

The two descended from a high mast and crashed onto the deck, flying wooden needles above their heads before gravity tossed it down in a prickling shower. Tesler's attention swivelled for just a second to see that they were completely alone. Krypt and his guests had fled down the stairs.

"And I was beginning to think they'd never leave!" Tesler said, his voice spilling with sickly brightness. "Don't you think so too, senpai?"

Wake swung Enigma back, arching his body like a bow. "**Sonatanokeishiki: Juka-**" Before Wake finished, his opponent vanished from his eyes. He then felt a sharp pain bolt up his spine as behind him, Tesler caught the butt of his ninjato accurately onto Wake's back.

He tutted, mocking the way a strict teacher would tell off a student. "Haven't you learnt anything at all? There is absolute no chance for you in beating me." Before Wake crashed to the floor, Tesler swung his foot onto the silver-haired man's stomach and sent him hurling down the length of the ship. "So whilst you're still concious, let me tell you something exciting."

A small crater had formed round Wake where he landed against the staircase leading up to the quarterdeck. He shifted sorely in his spot, unfortunately before he managed to pull himself up Tesler had placed his boot firmly on Wake's chest and pressed down hard.

"What's the rush?" Tesler asked coyly. "I only want to have a little chat with you, senpai. Don't worry, I'll try not to keep you long since you might just accidentally fall alseep." His grin widened in its unnatural way. "It's about your precious friend; Brandy One-Shot. He and his sister may caused a _little_ trouble for my employer but that doesn't exactly mean you would rationally want to kill the two youngsters, don't you think so?"

Wake made no reply.

"Krypt always was a fool, but he was realistic. He knew his limits, and he should have known that going after a petty revenge on the Fleet Admiral's niece and nephew wouldn't go down so well, so why did he do it?" Tesler continued. "I never suspected anything until he announced he was starting a second, shady business. On a new ship as well. I had no idea where he got the technology to make it stay constantly flying but it did rouse my suspicions and I made an investigation." He let out a satisfactory chuckle. "And wow, did I find something."

A droopy, silver eye flitted at Tesler. "...have you seen my hat?"

He was responded by the smiling man pushing further down with his boot. "You know what, perhaps you weren't the best person for me to share this with. That blond madam might have worked. I wonder if I could still catch up to her afterwards."

The remaining framework Wake was lying on was threatening to snap, he quickly grabbed onto Tesler leg with one hand and used the other to aim a fatal chop against fibula. The slight wince Tesler made was all Wake needed to force himself up and launch another series of attacks with his oversized blade in tow.

Sadly, it was not long until Wake found himself being completely overpowered again, Tesler's devil fruit enabling Wake to land a formidable attack. He felt a chain of punches, kicks, knees, cuts and grapples wearing him down faster and faster. His enemy was a complete blur, untouchable like smoke but there in his sight.

A rib snapped, blood gushed out, bruises were swelling. Wake wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. _Why am I fighting again?_ He couldn't remember where he was or why he was even here, all he knew was he was facing an extremely tough opponent, last time Wake was getting this much of a beating was when he was in the New World.

Wake heard something crack, he wasn't sure what bone it was since he was throbbing all over. Enigma was stunned out of his hands and his revolver was kicked away some time ago, leaving him defenceless- _almost_ defenceless. He distinctively grabbed onto his final weapon which hung diagonally on a belt. It took form of a normal looking katana completely wrapped in dirty, worn-out bandages.

At that moment, he froze.

Hesitation gripped Wake like manacles and he released his hold on the hilt of the sword. _No. Not again._ Tesler wasted no time and continued with his endless shower of assaults. _Not again. Not again. Not ever again._ The silver-haired man closed his eyes, welcoming all the instantaneous pain to drown out his thoughts. His memories.

_Not again._

Just before Tesler nearly knocked him to unconsciousness, he saw _it._ He remembered _it._

_...Aneki_

'Don't ever let this happen again Wake.'

Whether the Sleeping Curse was still awake or not of Tesler's concern. _I'll come collect him later after I find the others_. He spun the ninjato skillfully in his hand and slipped it back on his belt. He dusted off his clothes, checked the state of his wounds- which were all minor and decided he was all ready and prepared to leave.

"So much for the Sleeping Curse." He started to walk. Then stopped.

Curiosity flooded him and the archaeologist went back to the limp body, poking the holstered sword on Wake's side.

"I was planning to dismiss the fact you didn't draw the sword because I didn't give you the time," Tesler said, even though he knew that his audience probably was unable to hear him. "But I thought about it for another moment, I recall I made a slight slip-up in footing which would have given you at least a three second breather. So why didn't you take it?" He knelt down to pick up the bandaged katana and studied it. "Looks like you hadn't used it in a while."

Absently he began to unwinding the long strips of dirty cloth, slowly finding his way through the blade quite easily, baffling Tesler even further.

Suddenly, an arm shot out and reached for the ninjato on his belt.

'Don't let this ever happen again Wake. Don't let the Senbachi be released.'

**"Sonatakeishiki: Aizu."** _(Sonata Form: Signal)_

Blood went flying.

* * *

Almost amusedly, Tesler wiped the thin cut on his black jacket, the blade had just managed to graze his rib but nothing too severe. "My my, you should really change your name to _Undead_ Curse you know?" he joked lightly. He patted his cut with his bleeding hand, the one which was holding the enwrapped sword just moments ago.

Wake tightened the bandaging on Senbachi and tied it back to his belt, holding out the stolen ninjato offensively.

Tilting his head to one side, curiosity began to flicker over the archaeologist's face. "Do you even know why you're fighting me?"

"...no...but it doesn't matter."

Tesler drew out a pair of combat knives from a leg holster. "And why's that, senpai?"

"As long as I can keep...remember Aneki's promise..." Wake clutched the ninjato more tightly. "It doesn't matter... what else happens..."

* * *

The plan was ridiculous. Anne couldn't deny that, but she was short of options, time and patience. She was already half-way out of the window, her only reason for not crashing into the ocean was because of the doctor. There was a long, thick rope tied round Anne's waist, at the other end it was secured round Seth's as well, knotted over her flat stomach twice to make sure it wouldn't loosen when the plan was launched.

"2cm to the left," Anne ordered briskly.

Seth twitched her arm a little, doing her best to keep her body in balance.

In satisfaction Anne nodded twice, the signal for _it_ to start. If anyone stepped into the room right now, it would be very awkward trying to explain their pose.

**"Aotenjo Chizu Hakkaten!" **(_Sky-rocketing Map Flashpoint!_)

A few seconds ago, Seth was standing in front of the thrown-open windows with one foot on the wooden railing. Poised in her hand was Anne, her body straight and stiff like a spear, ready to be thrown. A few seconds later, Anne felt wind slap her face violently as she was flung at full force to the azure heavens. The rope around her waist made a snapping sound as it yanked the sandy-haired eighteen-year-old as well promptly after.

With watery eyes Anne squinted at the cutting air and saw something behind the clouds slowly outline itself. It was a ship. The two were thrown against the hull, the impact almost paralysed Anne by contact but she forced herself to ignore the gritting pain and allow her already cut fingers slap the wooden surface.

**Doki Doki no Amimono** (_Bloody Web_) A network of blood streamed from her digits and laced itself onto the ship, when a long scarlet strand found its way to a window the rest of the lattice followed, pulling Anne and Seth along into it.

A hefty kick was all it took for Anne to break the glass pane, she and Seth slipped inside and landed ungracefully on the floor, regaining strength.

"Wow, it's colourful!" Seth exclaimed, marvelling at the candy-red walls and furry carpeting which stretched both ways along the corridor.

Anne staggered to her feet. "We don't have long, let's split ways and search for Brandy-kun as quickly as possible. If any of us find him, make a signal and get back to the market-ship, just do a direct drop down and you'll land somewhere safe. Probably."

Nodding enthusiastically, Seth went prancing down one end whilst Anne departed down the other.

_Why am I even going through all this trouble?_ Anne thought to herself, wiping her bloody fingers on the edge of her shirt. _That One-Shot boy better be grateful we came for him. Also we need to get that Waltz back as well before anything happens to him. _She rolled her eyes. _Heaven forbid if we can even make through this entire thing alive._

She tried to imagine what sort of state Brandy could be in. There was quite a lot of blood left behind back at the _Titantic_, Anne only hoped that he received enough medical attention to be still healthy and alive.

A streak of shadows flashed past at a corridor as a warning, Anne darted to the nearest empty alley and made a sharp turn, hearing voices appear and disappear behind her. She picked up pace and scanned the series of closed but lit doors, deciding to risk a small peek at each of them.

Every room showed a square purple room with velvety seats and a table brimming with food and drink. Sitting round it was a man or a group of men surrounded by pretty, smiling young females in loud but modest kimonos and a layer of make-up. _Where in the world am I?_ Anne stepped away from the keyhole she was peering through and shook her head. _Is Brandy-kun really in a place like this?_

The most turbulent room was near the back- _Room 11_- there were at least a dozen hostesses there entertaining their client. Girlish laughter filled the atmosphere, along with the chink of glasses and scrape of chopsticks against plates.

"He's on our side really," Anne heard one girl say. "I mean, he's managed to put us off the Pinocchio project for quite a while now, and even with all those jobs he's doing he brings us back presents!"

A somewhat drunk woman joined in joined in. "Yeah! Just last week she bought us pretty hairpins..." several giggled at the word 'she.' "But this time she brought us a pretty little boy too!"

Once again laughter broke out from the room, along with a familiar snort. Anne's jaw almost fell open. _Don't tell me that the pretty boy is-_

Without second thought Anne marched to the door and kicked it open. The room was still in the same interior design as all the others, it was crammed with the kimono-clad hostesses and a teal-haired teenage boy squashed in the middle, expensive sushi being crammed in his mouth and clad in a clean change of clothes.

Anne felt an eye twitch.

"H-How did you get here?" Brandy spluttered, almost spitting rice as he spoke.

The blond forced herself to smile politely and nod in apology at all the other company. "Sorry for bothering you," she said and slammed the door shut.

"WAIIIT! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

* * *

With a curled lip, the man waved his hand away. "Kid, I'll get in trouble if I let intruders run about. Go home already."

"But I can't leave until I find Captain!" Seth insisted. "If you're a guard you'll know where he is!"

"I know one thing for sure," he snapped. "You're really starting to bug me. I don't pick fights with kids, especially girls. So beat it already if you don't want to get hurt!"

A long silence poured in, creating gripping tension as none of them moved a bare inch, eyes focused on each other intently. Seth then slid her feet further apart so they were planted more firmly on the ground, she held her fists to her side and bent forwards a little.

"I _like_ Captain," Seth said. "I like Map and Seppuku-dono too. So I want us all to stay together a little longer."

Sighing, the security guard hopped off the chair he was sitting on and began shaking his legs to get his muscles warming. "What's with kids and their rebellious stage anyway? Even I wasn't that annoying," he too shifted into a combat stance and squared his shoulders. "You asked for it."

Seth made the first move, she went charging forwards and aimed a powerful punch at her target. The attack was easily evaded and returned with a series of kicks, each extremely accurate, well-measured and timed.

Jerking backwards Seth clumsily retreated to gain enough space to throw another strike of a fist. Even if her body movement was not exactly graceful and methodical, by no doubt she was about to make a definite hit on the guard's heart. He swore as he pivoted into an arc, swatting Seth's arm away with his foot, he made one more turn to swing a second kick onto the girl's rib, sending her half-way through the wall.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world; Seth pushed herself out and resumed to her stance.

"That wasn't even funny," he deadpanned. "You aimed right for my heart, not many people have such pinpoint accuracy when they're swaying like a drunk." He paused. "I also didn't you had enough blood intent to pull it off."

Of all reactions to give Seth bursted out laughing. "Don't worry! Don't worry!" she chuckled. "That was just a pure coincidence, I was only aiming for your shoulder Mister."

The guard's eyes narrowed. He somehow wasn't sure how to react to the sunny smile radiated at him, it didn't exactly give the same menacing effect as that John Tesler did, but all the same, she smiled too much.

Seth flexed her calves and blitzed forwards with a pair of clenched fists, delivering them with full force. The guard jumped over her, watching the wall which he had his back to crumble like a sand castle. Seth twirled round to meet the guard again, quickly pulling up another fist to attack.

The timing was going to be precise, the moment the guard landed on the floor Seth would knock the living daylights out of him with the single punch. And maybe even shatter some bones.

**"Geppou."** (_Moonsteps_) The guard kicked the air and bounced high enough to hit his head against the wooden ceiling.

Surprised to see her opponent bounce up from an invisible trampoline, Seth went stumbling forwards and skidded down the hallway, whamming right into another wall.

A little dizzy, she got back to her feet and pointed like a curious child at the guard. "Wow! You're floating!"

There was no reply.

"And it's got such a cool name as well!" she gabbled on. "Can I do it too? I've always wanted to name my attacks!"

The guard checked his watch, it was almost lunch time and he only had an apple and some coffee for breakfast. Grunting, he projected himself at the girl in top speed, setting himself to a swift aerial attack.

Seth jumped out of the way on a bare whim, feeling a spray of splinters prickle her face as a crate formed from impact of the kick. She hobbled backwards, trying to find her footing again.

**"Rankakyu."** (_Storm Leg_) The guard did not waste the given opening and snapped his leg at her in high speed, sending out a sharp blade of repressed air at her.

Dark eyes widening, Seth's mouth pursed open to begin forming words but she was cut off as a direct blow was hurled at her, tossed into the air from the strength of the attack. A long streak of blood exploded across her torso and left a slapdash trail from where she was flung off the ground and to the next several walls.

The guard took his time following the blood trail, ignoring the startled hostesses and guests who peered out from their rooms. He climbed through the broken down walls and inspected the limp body, flaccidly stretched over a pile of debris and plaster.

He poked her with his foot, just to make sure she was out concious. Then again, she did just take on a full on Rankyaku with no defence.

"Oi," he called out to one of the hostesses. "Get someone to kick her out of the shi-"

**"The Dirty Technique which kids should never do in a fair fight!"** Seth sprung up from the floor like a predatory snake and connected her fist to the guard's chin, flying him up heavenwards.

All the remaining bystanders just had one thought. _The name is way too long!_

* * *

Another cut. Another bruise. Another spit of blood.

The world was growing rather disorienting to Wake, he had no idea where he was, who his opponent was and where his hat was. ..._hat._ He needed to find it, unless he'll be breaking another promise. He didn't like breaking promises.

Tesler brandished his elbow on Wake's chest, the swordsman almost felt his heart rattle beneath his ribcage at contact. Before Wake could even swing the ninjato, Tesler had disappeared again. Gone leaving only a breeze behind.

_...huh?_

His silver ponytail was yanked back violently and a fist smashed against the side of his face. Wake lifted the weight from his legs to make a somersaulting kick over at Tesler's neck, but he was gone again. Just like the wind.

Wake blinked his droopy eyelids, he had only seconds before Tesler would appear again, quickly he planted both feet firmly on the splintered floor and lunged left with the ninjato.

Without doubt the dark-haired archaeologist was surprised to see a blade jutting out of his stomach. "Oh..." Tesler said softly as foul-tasting red liquid spilt out from the corner of his mouth. "How ...ironic."

* * *

"About that," Brandy grunted. "There's no need for us to go after that smiling bastard."

Anne frowned at him, folding her arms across her chest. "He came after you once, what makes you think he wouldn't do it again? He's got orders to capture us and I think he's quite capable of doing so if we don't move it."

The teal-haired teenager's eyes floated towards the group of hostesses who were eating with him earlier, they were politely standing outside the room but the door was still open a tiny fraction. Group 11 they had called themselves.

He hesitated quite a while, not sure how to choose his words. "He's on our side," Brandy decided with.

* * *

Wake sharply drew out the knife, a fountain of blood spat from the wound. He spun the knife between his fingers, watching Tesler stagger away lifelessly.

* * *

Eyes narrowing, Anne inclined her head. "Our side?" she echoed. "Really?"

"In his own twisted, fucked up sort of way," Brandy mumbled. "He took this chance to kidnap me to do something."

Unknown to him his navigator too had doubts that Tesler was completely their enemy, he had after all told her the location of where Brandy was being sent in a rather casual manner. "Do what exactly?"

A shrug of the shoulders was given in response. "Not really sure. He's trying to terminate a project that Krypt's been secretly working on."

* * *

******"Sonatakeishiki: Aizu..."** _(Sonata Form: Signal)_

Tesler this time, was unable to dodge.

* * *

"It's called Pinocchio."

* * *

**WHEN IS THIS ARC EVER GOING TO END? Wait, it was an arc? I didn't see this happening... don't worry, it'll be ending soon.**

**How Tock's doing with the third possible Shichibukai member next chapter!**

**Forgive whatever screwed up, I only checked the whole thing twice for mistakes.**

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by __Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus**  
Doctor- **taken by __Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by __shadowjohn__ 101**  
Shipwright**- taken by Dthehalfdragon **  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by __LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
__-Vice Admiral Sabar Green__  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
__-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
__-Captain Pheonix Hadley  
**-**__Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley__  
**-**? Blanca Rose  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Astaro Pirates- (spoilers)__  
**-**Royal__Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu_**_  
Ally Crew-  
-_**_Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron, Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**__Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro__  
**-**__Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) _**_  
_****_Shichibukai- all taken_**_  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
__-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
__-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
__-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
__-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator_

**For now; I've closed ****OC**** submissions! I do need yonkou pirates later on... much later, but since they're not coming anytime soon I might as well just close up so I don't need to make even more people wait for their OCs to appear. **


	9. Pursuit VIII: Pinocchio

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit VIII: Pinocchio

**_Recap_****:** _Anne_ and _Brandy_ had finally reunited and came to the revelation that _Tesler_ may not be their real enemy- unfortunately during the time _Wake_ had managed to apply significant damage towards the archaeologist. _Seth_ too had beaten her opponent. The _Gold-Blood pirates_ are assisting _Krypt_ in getting rid of Brandy's team, unaware of Krypt's misdeeds. The project he has been secretly working on has recently been Shichibukai _Love Rafael_'s newest mission. _Clockwork Tock_ continues to recruit the last possible member.

* * *

At the bottom of the stairs, Anne was waiting for Brandy. She saw him stagger down the empty corridor in a few minutes, hair threatening to fall down his face.

She asked. "Is everyone set to go?"

He nodded, unable to form words with his breathless state. "Pretty much, by the time we shut this place down everyone'll be in position." He noticed his stubborn hair and quickly used his hand to push it back, not allowing even a strand to touch his forehead.

Anne watched him, a little amused but she said nothing of it. It was a well-known fact the One-Shots hated to cover their faces, whether it was by using a hat, a cloth, bandage or even a plaster. They would all determinedly fix their appearance so there would be nothing to hide- whether it was showing off how they looked or found it it gave them confidence, Anne had no idea and didn't mind not kowing.

The two climbed the steep, wooden steps. Brandy a little ahead of her, taking two at a time. They bursted through the door and was instantly greeted by a gust of wind, the main deck coldly hissing at the new visitors. Being so high in the sky did not have all its advantages.

"Where's the engine?" Anne shouted over the howling wind, hair stinging her cheek.

Brandy pointed blindly. "Yasu said you can't miss it! It's huge!" he replied with equal volume.

_"Just smash the engine and the ship would slowly go back to the ocean, the back-up engines below will smooth the landing so there should be no harm done,"_ was what Yasu helpfully said before Brandy left off.

The navigator squinted at the scenery around her. "All I see is a gold cube."

"A what?"

"A _very_ big gold cu-!" she stopped talking when she saw a shadow streak by the floor next to her. Anne hurled herself at Brandy throwing them off from their spot, hearing the floor break seconds after they left.

In front of them was a dark-haired girl in a blue turtle-neck dress, she wasn't even wearing shoes, only tights. Her forest-green eyes snapped up to meet the two and broke into a large smile. "Hi, I'm Azura! But call me Azu if you really want."

Brandy felt a vein throb. "I haven't got the damn time-!" he launched at Azura with a clenched fist. "-to be dealing with this!"

The girl evaded the attack by rolling past him on his back, she landed directly behind him and aimed a childish slap on his shoulder blade. "Tut tut nii-san! Guys aren't meant to hit girls!"

This only made Brandy darken his glare and he kicked the back of his ankle to call out the carbon blade in his knee. He spun, cutting the air with the blade missing Azura by a bare hair's breadth. She flexed her body with ease and somersaulted around him, coyly.

She sprung into the air, hair fluttering and hands outstretched in front of her.

**"Chara Chara Switch!"**

A silver butterfly melted out of her open palms and plummeted downwards right into Brandy's head. The startled teal-haired teenager stumbled away, his wide eyes colouring into a similar shade of the butterfly's wings.

Anne made a small cut on her finger and pointed it at Azura who was making her landing.

**"Doki Doki no Muchi!"** (_Bloody Whip_)

The long, scarlet whip stemmed from the wound and snaked itself at the opponent, forcing her to back away. Anne then quickly tended to Brandy who was in the process of falling over in an undignified manner. His head rolled like a drunkard and pearl-grey eyes staring blankly ahead of him, he hardly reacted when Anne caught from collapsing.

Hastily Anne slapped his cheek. "Brandy-kun! Snap out of it! What happened?"

Silver eyes met brown.

"Ha ha, did I ever tell you that you look like my aunt when you frown?" Brandy chirped, with overfilling delight. "And I'm feeling fruity thanks! A little off-the-tip if ya get what I'm saying but I think I'm all set to go now!"

Anne blinked at him. _A little off-the-tip? You've be **capsized** more like!_

"So, what we were doing again?" he got to his feet and took in his surroundings. "Oh yeah, we were trying to bust the engine, weren't we? Wow, I'm feeling a little like Wakey here, ha ha!" He started leaning his head back, tilting until his body was almost toppling over. "Wow, the world seems so bright today... HELLO MR. SUNNY RAY! Ciao~!" He crashed onto his back. He laughed.

Wordlessly, Anne watched Brandy continue greeting inanimate objects and nattering to them as if they were great friends. She craned her head slowly to Azura who watched the boy with mild amusement.

She caught Anne staring and bared a grin. "Isn't my devil fruit fun or what?"

"What... did you _do_ to him?"

Azura inclined her head. "Chara Chara no Mi- the Character Fruit," she explained well-knowingly. "All I did was give nii-chan a little character switch. Completely safe but effective, don't you think?" She winked slyly and placed her hands on her hips.

Though, Anne did not seem impressed by the very least. "I guess that depends on _which team_ you're using that again," she said dryly, making sharp needles of blood prickle from the cut on her finger. "I'm giving you five seconds to turn him back to his original state, or I'm going to turn you into a pin cushion."

"Try me," Azura chuckled, holding out a hand in front of her.

With a grim expression, Anne made a large cut down her arm. **"Doki Doki no Ame!"** (_Bloody Rain_) Needles of blood sprayed out from the seeping wound and danced at Azura's direction. Anne was spitting out so many needles all she saw was blood being splattered everywhere by impact, eventually she slowed down. The feeling of light-headedness wafting into her brain.

_At least I got rid of her_, she thought.

"GOOD MORNING MRS. SEAGULL!"

_...perhaps not._

In front of Azura was an enormous slab of metal which had shielded her from the attacks. Anne had never saw it lying about on the ship until now. Kneeling next to it was a new figure; the short ebony hair hacked off in disgrace and tatty red admiral's jacket adorned with gold tassles draped on the person's shoulders were rather off-standing features.

Shoeless feet pushed the weight of the person upright, heterochromia eyes studying Anne carefully. The corner of her lips stretched toothily, showing off jagged, sharp enamels.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who the tassle-coat girl was.

"Pirate," Anne muttered emptily.

The word apparently pleased the tassle-girl who reached for the hunk of metal and lifted it by an unseen hilt and spun the blade with one hand. It was almost or even taller than her, probably weighing around the same as her as well.

Anne was always weary of insanely strong people. Her doctor became the reason.

"...don't like," the tassle-girl mumbled.

Both Anne and Azura stared at her.

"I don't like her ability very much," the pirate said in a strained even-tone. "I want that other one. The guy who looks like he's gone crazy."

Both Anne and Azura stared at her. _Look who's talking!_

Pouting childishly, Azura snapped her fingers. "Okay okay then, I guess I owe you from just now," she said reluctantly, calling back the silver butterfly from inside Brandy's conciousness. The teal-haired victim stumbled again, clumsily trying to stay on his feet. He swayed side to side until slowly, his once silver eyes melted back to their usual dark green.

He shook his head, getting a grasp of his surroundings. "Uh... what did I miss?" he asked blankly.

Anne smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. "You forgot to say good-bye to Mr. Sunny Ray. And Uncle Cannon Ball... and Mrs. Seagull." She then gestured to the pirate standing in front of Azura. "Oh, and by the way, I've made you some new friends."

* * *

The final attack never came.

Blood mixed with sweat, Tesler lay on the floor with the sun taunting at his defeat. Hovering above him was a man with a dagger gripped with both hands, yet he did not use it to make his last strike. He just stood there, staring at his enemy almost curiously.

It was quite a surprise that Wake managed to figure out the only problem Tesler had with his devil fruit- he would leave behind a gust of wind blowing at the direction of where he would appear next. Many people would either ignore it or even not notice it. It would seem Wake didn't fall under that category.

"What are you waiting for?" Tesler asked softly. The wound was large but not deep, it did not mean though that he'd easily be able to get up and try gain the upperhand of the finishing battle.

Wake did not reply straight away, the archaeologist was actually getting used to that by now. Tilting his head slowly, the Sleeping Curse lowered his weapon and turned away. "You're... not who I'm looking for..." he murmured, tripping over debris several times when walking to the exit but managed not to crash right onto his face. "A... sea-urchin was it...?"

Behind him, Tesler bursted out laughing.

* * *

"KE HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Tassles was roaring with laughter as she diced up half the deck with her monstrous sword.

Brandy scampered away from the danger-zone, mumbling foul words and keeping his head low in case his opponent tried throwing random pieces of sharp wood again. Behind him, Tassles swung her sword again and threw it like a frisbee at his direction, to prevent himself from being halved Brandy fell flat against the floor, he almost bit his tongue in the process.

The blur of the blade spun round an uneven circle and returned to Tassles' outstretched hand. "CAN-DY~ LET'S FUCKING PLAY!" she screeched, waving her weapon over her head making the wind growl as she cut through it.

"It's _Brandy_ you godforsaken maniac!" he snapped, quickly scrambling back onto his feet and distancing himself as far as possible. "Seriously, if insanity was a crime you'd be more Wanted than the Pirate King!"

"PIRATE!" she repeated his word with added passion. "Oopsie! I just used my outside voice."

Brandy looked deadpanned. "We _are_ outside."

Mismatched eyes gave him a sincerely started stare, they blinked innocently before finally returning to its mad glint. "Okay then," she said softly and took a deep breath. "CANDY~ LET'S FUCKING PLAY!"

"I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!" Brandy used the blade on his leg to block another swing of Tassles' titanic sword, the impact shivering up his prosthetic limb. He activated the nozzle underneath the sole of his foot and aimed it at Tassles' head. "Beat it!" A projectile fired out and hit her point blank.

Not risking the chance to rest, the teal-haired teenager once again fled away from the pirate.

Gasping for breath his eyes searched for Anne. "O-Oi!" he called out with a ragged tone. "L-Let's switch, you can have your friend back."

He spotted his blond-haired navigator balancing on the fore-boon; she slowly turned to meet his gaze with nervousness outlining her expression. "Eh, b-but she's s-scary!" Anne spluttered, silvery eyes threatening to spill tears of helplessness.

"WHAT NOW?" Brandy slapped his forehead, but was unable to keep in pose for long as a bleeding Tassels went pursuing after him wielding her ungodly huge sword.

He skittered backwards, keeping his eyes glued to the dark-haired girl swinging the large hunk of metal. He unfortunately did not pay enough attention to his surroundings and tripped on a sly piece of rope. Brandy felt the world lurch as he began to make his descent onto the floor, Tassels grinning at the chance and switched into a position where she could stab right through him.

_Damn._ He gritted his teeth and waited for the pain to come again.

"Tassels, that's quite enough," a frail but youthful voice commanded quietly.

Like an obedient soldier, Tassels froze from her stance and slowly lowered her weapon. She turned to her captain, who was still pale in the face and was dabbing a blood-stained tissue from her mouth.

Brandy looked from her to the pirate, trying to understand their relationship.

"We were meant to drive the pirates away," the captain prompted. "Not kill them." She kindly smiled at Brandy. "Excuse dear Tassels if you will, she tends to get carried away when making new friends." Brandy's eye twitched. "And Azura, do release your butterfly on that lady, there's no need to go that far."

Unenthusiastically, Azura called back her silver butterfly, hardly making a protest. "Aye Captain Foster."

"So then-"

Tawny hair in a complete mess and glasses hanging off his nose; Yasu emerged from the door and almost tripped over the small crater Azura made when she kicked it. He blinked in confusion and stared at the scene in front of him.

Three pirates; a bemused Anne, a battered Brandy sprawled out on the floor and a large gold cube replacing the spot the engine used to be.

"Did I…" Yasu began. "Come in a bad time?"

Before anyone could answer back, Brandy went flying into the air as a force hit him from below. All able-bodied people on the deck quickly took an alert standpoint, wearily searching for the new, hidden opponent. Brandy eventually came crashing down again, a half-conscious security guard landed next to him.

Azura giggled and began a long chain of cartwheels around an area free of rubble. "Wow the ship's erupting!" she gabbled her words so quickly it sounded like 'wowtheshiputing!'

Out of interest Yasu peered down the hole where the guard exploded from, his nose connected with someone's head as a second person shot out from the make-shift opening. Sandy hair, large onyx eyes and colourful clothes came to view.

The first person Seth saw as she surfaced was Brandy, making her face glow in delight and reached to give him a _crushing_ hug. "CAPTAIN URCHIN!" (_snap_) she wailed. "WE WERE (_snap_) LOOKING FOR YOU!" (_snap_)

Brandy's expression began twisting in pain. "M-Monroe! M-My spine…!" he gasped.

Curious why all the noise of the fight had ceased, Krypt peeked out of his own hiding spot behind the gold cube. He was instantly spotted by Anne.

"_You_," she growled darkly. "Krypt, isn't that right?"

Krypt stiffened at the venom of her tone, but did his best to look composed. "What's going on?" he asked Foster, trying to ignore her.

He was returned by a reassuring smile. "Do not worry Mr. Krypt, everything is under control. I was planning to ask the pirates if they could leave your ship peacefully."

"Us? Pirates?" Anne retorted. "Is that the excuse he used to persuade you to stop us saving this boy?" she gestured at Brandy who was in more pain than he was when Tesler stabbed him. "That man over there is a lying, scheming devil who has abused his rights as a merchant!"

Krypt felt panic flood him, they stole documents from his log room, they had evidence of his misdeeds. "I-"

A hand was held at his face. "Hold the mushi sir," Azura cut him off. "Let's hear it from onee-chan first."

"According to the girls who work on this ship they were offered work in a cabaret, harmlessly entertain men by just talking and dining with them. Shelter and food would have been given to them in exchange of their work," Anne said, her voice dangerously low. "Of course the man in charge did not spare them the details that he was poisoning their food out of a simple experiment."

Near the door Yasu had finally finished wiping his bloody nose and rose to his feet. "Pinocchio," he muttered. "A drug which can- if given the correct sample- maintain a youthful appearance. I, and a dozen of other men were blackmailed into taking part of this project and watched at least a hundred of innocent girls die for this."

Anne folded her arms, taking several steps towards Krypt. "The girls can't escape because if they don't receive a regular dosage of the Pinocchio they'll die anyway. Nor can they call for help since you cut them off from their family and you told the customers that the girls loved making 'dramatic stories.'"

At last with great effort, Brandy pried his doctor off him. "Not to mention you kill off anyone who tries interfering with your little experiments."

Krypt felt beads of sweat forming at the back of his neck.

"Is this true?" Foster inquired evenly, taking the information with a neutral reaction. "If it is then we do have a problem Mr. Krypt, but then again, I don't see any evidence to justify all the accusations."

Yasu planted a hand over his chest. "_I'm_ the evidence! I've seen what had happened over the five years I've worked here, and if that's not enough you can go see the girls right now and see what they have to say! Or Krypt's archaeologist, a number of the girls here used to go to the same orphanage as him and when he found out what had happened, he threw himself at Krypt's feet to spare them from Pinocchio!"

Hands folded behind her head, Azura glanced over at her captain. "So then… what now?"

Foster shrugged her shoulders. "They seem honest…"

"You thought Mr. Krypt was honest."

"And I think they're even more so," Foster said coolly. "Right then, Tassels I'd like you t-"

_BANG._

Horror filled Azura's face. "Captain!" Foster buckled onto her knees and fell to her side, blood spilling out of a bullet-wound from her chest, her two crewmates flocked round her and tried to stop the bleeding, Seth joined in with them.

Anne glowered with seething hate at Krypt who held a gun with shaky hands.

"D-Don't move…" it no longer sounded as if he was talking, almost as if he was possessed by something else. "Don't move, or he's next." He pointed the nose at Yasu- the least likely person to be able to dodge a bullet.

The security guard on the floor abruptly sat up, he touched his bruised chin and winced at the biting pain. "Give up Allister, it's all over now," he said tonelessly. "There are pirates on board and a One-Shot, you're finished now."

A strangled laughter escape Krypt's throat. "Idiots… as long as the engine is running then _his_ project is safe," Krypt chuckled in a sinister pitch. "Miss sickly captain is down and no one else is going to be able to break 10cm of gold, and not _all_ men are like you and Yasu. Several here are after Pinocchio's final results, they'll stay loyal, they'll find me and kill you all!"

Seth tore her eyes away from her work. "Ten centimetres…" she made a quick calculation in her head and brightened up. "I think I can take it!" She jumped to her feet, ignoring Azura's whines and Anne's protests.

On the spur of the moment; the sandy-haired doctor was charging towards Krypt with one clenched fist being held towards her body.

"W-Wait Monroe!" Brandy called out.

**"Concussion Wave!" **When he finally registered her, it was too late. Seth skidded the last yard and slammed her knuckles against the gold wall next to Krypt.

The gold crumbled like a dry cake, the engine inside fell apart as if it had the sudden urge to fall asleep, the remaining decking everyone was standing on snapped like twigs and the rest of the ship promptly shattered to pieces.

"YOU OVERDID IT!" Brandy yelled.

It wasn't the end though. All of a sudden, the wrecked engine exploded with a fierce roar, flowering into a ball of crimson flames which only damaged the masts and sails. However, the impact had barraged through the very core of the ship and tearing the pieces of wood to shreds. Brandy felt hot air slam into him and hammer him down two fragmenting floors, already he saw glimpses of the watery death surrounded by the collapsing vessel.

Anne slid down a mast and onto what used to be a dining table. "Everyone escape!" she called out.

An extremely weakened Foster was at the navigator's side. "What about the other inhabitants of the ship?"

This only made Anne grin proudly. "We prepared for that."

Small, sturdy escape-pods hovered away from the mess, circling the shower of furniture and timber. Several tried to enter the curtain of destruction to save Brandy and the others but had to pull out again before it was dragged to its death.

Foster flicked her wrist into the air and generated a trail of gold from nothingness, it spiralled towards to the market-ship which was only just out of the hazard, Brandy had a hard time recognizing it as it was no more than a small bead in his vision. In matter of seconds, Tassels grabbed onto Foster and went first twirling down the gold trail to safety with Azura following. The gold stayed robust enough to hold all three of their weight and defend itself from the rain of debris.

Deciding it was the only option left, Anne went ensuite. Seth went next, dragging a distraught Krypt with her, the security guard hurled himself in too. Before Brandy joined in as well, something caught his attention.

In the distance; was a mop of tawny hair.

The eighteen-year-old's eyes widened as he saw Yasu too plummeting to his descent. "Yasu!" With screaming people, falling debris and a huge, tower-like mast sinking from the sky at the same time; it seemed impossible to even reach the man without being mulled down in the process. "Damn it!" he hissed, sliding off a broken banister and hopping over some nailed planks of wood. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He had to reach Yasu before they got too close to the water, Brandy readied himself to dive further into the cyclone of chaos until something warm wrapped round his torso.

**Doki Doki no Muchi** (_Bloody whip_). From the crown's nest, Anne had extended out a long thread of blood which found its way to Brandy and stopped him from falling. "Gotcha!" she said triumphantly, drawing him to safety.

"Hurrah for the map!" Seth praised from the backstays.

"It's Anne."

Brandy did not share the same rejoice. "No, wait! Damn you woman, can't you see I'm trying to save someone?" he hollered, but was drown out by the ship noisily splatting against the ocean surface

There was a flash of black. Tesler shot past Anne, even with the wounds from his battle earlier he was teleporting in an insane speed towards Yasu, racing against the law of gravity. He teleported onto a piece of the main deck, then onto a table, then a grandfather's clock, climbing down the chain of furniture, then he spotted Yasu somersaulting towards the deep blue ocean.

Suddenly; a sharp stab of pain bloomed on his arm, it abruptly broke in three different areas, giving the limb a disfigured appearance. Clenching his teeth, Tesler continued to teleport, finally reaching Yasu in mid-air and grabbed his shirt collar.

Instantly did the brunette notice the bloodied, broken arm. "Are you crazy?" Yasu bellowed over the shrieks around him. "You went over the limit-line, you moron! Are you trying to kill yourself?"

An unusual, humorous smile was etched onto Tesler's tanned face. "Your welcome!"

"You can't take us both out of this mess with what remaining energy you have left!" Yasu yelled, squinting since his spectacles had flew out of his face a while ago. "Teleport out of here, NOW!" They were only metres above the surface of the water, if the archaeologist fell into it, his devil-fruit ability would be rendered useless.

His balled fist stayed firmly gripped onto Yasu's starchy neckband. "Yasu," Tesler said almost softly. "Thank-you for look-aftering my sisters. I owe you." And teleported Yasu out of the cascading danger above them, to one of the small emergency boats, just far enough to dodge the rain of people, goods, crates and heavy wood.

Satisfied and smug with his defiance, Tesler relaxed his tensed and battered body, marvelling at his gnarled arm.

Tesler smiled his trademark, mocking grin and closed his eyes, the strong stench of salt pricked his nose and he fell head-first into the cold, liquid blue.

* * *

**Splash.**

* * *

The two pirates exchanged glances, they grew up dealing with Marines, lying cheats and thieves. They never, _never_ came across a young child in tears. Then again, the child in front of them was quite an odd one; he had stark white hair, a medical eye-patch covering one eye and wearing a waistcoat.

The younger of the pirates knelt down next to the boy and awkwardly patted the small, bony shoulder. "Hey now kid, no need to cry," he cooed. "What's wrong? How did you get here?" _In a island of pirates in the middle of nowhere._

Sobbing loudly, the boy wiped his tear-stained cheeks with his long sleeve and shrugged. "I-I-I don't know…" he whined, looking rather hesitant to be talking to them. "D-Daddy was showing me the ocean…" he bursted into tears again as the memory returned. "Then this big scary monster attacked!"

The two sympathetic pirates needed to hear no more. Some of the seamonsters in the area were a bit aggressive and usually provided to be useful security guards around the area, but there would always be a few tragedies. The boy wasn't a Marine, he didn't look particularly dangerous- he was probably only just over 12-years-old so the pirates decided it would be best to send him off home again.

Of course permission from the captain was necessary.

The younger pirate smiled and ruffled the boy's snow white hair. "Tell you what kid, we'll take you to our captain and see if he's got a boat and navigator to spare for you, shall we?" They may well be pirates, but they weren't demons. A small child was definitely going to give them nightmares if they left him alone.

After that, the boy seemed a lot happier. He held onto both the pirates' hands and did his best to keep to their long strides into the forest. He began gabbling about his pet rabbit; KamiMaki, a bundle of fluff which was unfortunately green since he was constantly getting sick.

The pirates looked at each other and grinned, if all children were as cute and adorable as the little kid they were walking with then raising a family didn't seem too horrid after all.

"Say kid, what's your name?" one asked, he waved to the sniper hidden in the trees to show that their guest was not uninvited. The sniper waved back in response.

The boy beamed proudly, his only visible yellow eye flitting between them. "You can guess!" he announced with glee. "You can ask me five questions what it is! If you get it wrong though, you'll have to play Hide and Seek with me!"

The pirates were amused. "What if _we_ get it right?"

"Then I'll play a game you want," the boy replied. "But I know I'm going to win."

However, they already reached the main gate. It was really just a wall handmade from the trees surrounding them, it smelled richly of pine and greenery, something which their captain loved about the wall. It was guarded heavily by several men on either side, if permission was granted then the guards would move away from the only gap through the wall for the guest to go through.

A handful of muscle-bound men were eating dried meat and bread from outside the wall, they saw the two pirates with the young boy and gave each other questioning looks.

"Young boy drifted onto here in a half-sinking boat," the older of the two explained. "Doesn't seem like a bad kid and we were wondering if the captain'll let him get back to homeland."

The guard standing closest to the wall rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure, why not? The captain loves kids."

Without protest, the rest of the group moved to the side, allowing the three to shuffle in. Most of the trees had been cleared away, giving the area a more spacious feel, the high canopies however still shaded the ground from most of the stifling sun and allowed inhabitants to stay cool. The aroma of cooking meat prickled at their noses, it came from a small barbeque being lit at a fire surrounded by a group of laughing men. The only woman of the group was sleeping under a tree.

Everyone heard the threesome approach and slowly turned their heads round, warm smiles lifted onto their faces and welcomed the group with open arms.

"Say, what do you have here?" the swordsman of the crew asked.

"Fresh meat? Great! Load him on top of the rest," the cook joked, cueing a roar of laughter to explode.

They quickly died down when the captain noisily dropped his pitcher onto the floor. He was of a similar age to most of his crew; reaching just 30-years-old. He was a tall, slim man clothed in a clean black suit and a white fedora, covering his shaggy bleached blue hair.

Black eyes swivelled towards the boy and to his escorts. "Well?" he barked.

Suddenly the pirates were nervous, they knew their captain was always a rather cranky person but it never stopped them thinking that something might happen if they said the wrong things. Between the two they relayed the story for the second time, watching carefully for a reaction.

"So will it be okay, Captain Redcliffe?" one of them asked.

Chance Redcliffe examined the boy from where he sat, true the child bore an odd appearance with his eyepatch, clothes and hair but still only a child.

He lifted and lowered a shoulder. "Someone wake up Fleur, she can take..." he stared at the boy impassively. "What was your name again, kid?"

The corner of the boy's lips curled into a wide smile. "W-Well…" he looked shy about sharing it. The pirates at both his sides encouraged him on. "Okay then, I'll let you ask me five questions about my name!" For emphasis he held out five elfin fingers.

Redcliffe raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead, Cap!" the chef called out from over the fire.

With a sigh, Redcliffe positioned himself so he was facing the boy, there was still quite a distance between them two but neither of them appeared wanting to close in any further. "…is it a long name?" he inquired lamely.

The boy giggled. "Nope!"

Since Redcliffe's entire crew was watching, he felt almost awkward about conversing with the child. "Is it a name from a famous person?"

"Sorta…"

The swordman shot up from his seat. "Is it a name of a pirate?"

Redcliffe scowled at him but the boy only nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Everyone knows him!"

"Is he a bad pirate?" the cook joined in.

The boy inclined his head. "Maybe…"

"Chance Redcliffe," the woman who everyone thought to be sleeping was propped up on her elbows with a sly grin. Everyone chortled at her answer, Redcliffe shot her an irritated frown and muttered a string of censored words under his breath.

The boy laughed with them. "Wrong!" he chimed and dug a kitchen knife into a pirate's leg, cutting half way through the bone before wretching off the weapon. "Guess you lose," he chuckled.

Before the pirate at his other side was able to react, the boy imbedded the blade into the man's gut and twisted it, watching internal organs spill out when he pulled out the knife again.

"Shame," the boy said with a mad grin. "I would've _loved_ to play Hide and Seek with you all," he spun on the balls of his feet to the shocked crew in front of him. "But I'm actually here to do work!"

The swordsman flew out of his seat and grabbed onto his katana with rage spilling over his face. "Why you little-" he growled, launching an attack from an aerial stance.

Redcliffe too jumped out from his chair. "Fall back Yougi!" he commanded, but all to futility.

In seconds, the once cheerfully, handsome young swordsman was nothing more than cubes of meat. Blood sprayed across the forest floor, some hit the boy but he didn't seem to mind, the red almost glowed against his white hair.

"Hey, I got us some more meat for the barbeque!" the boy said with delight. "Now we've got enough for _all_ of us! Aren't I a smashing _geniutocial_?"

Jaw tightening and fists clenching, sparks of electricity buzzed round Redcliffe's hands. He fixed an infuriated glare at the sunny-smiled boy and took several steady steps forward.

"Stay back," he warned his crew. "I'm going to beat the absolute shit out of this brat."

The boy's pale-yellow eye widened. "Oh yes, since the game is over I can tell you my name!" he said with glee. "It's a nice name, I assure you Mr. Red, and I'm positive you've heard of it." He abruptly switched his demented appearance to its former shy and cute phase. "I-I'm called Tock… 'Clockwork' Tock."

Half the members of the crew gasped. Redcliffe remained unfazed.

"I'd like to tell you why I'm here, Mr. Red," Tock said, reaching into his coat pocket. "You see, I'm on a recruitment mission since there's an open spot at the Shichibukai, the Marines seem to think you're a perfect candidate."

The suit-clad man scowled deeper. "Hell as if I'm working with the Marines."

Tock merely smiled sweetly. "Well, it doesn't really bother me if you want to join or not, I'm going to have to first check you really are a suitable candidate first," he flourished a beautifully ornate pocketwatch the size of a dinner plate, it caused somewhat confusion as it came from such a small pocket. "Let's play a game, Mr. Red!"

Electricity buzzed fiercely in Redcliffe's balled fists.

"I wonder… how many of your precious friends you will be able to save in sixty seconds," Tock mused, winding one of the dials of the watch to a timer. "No rules applied! Timer set and… go!"

* * *

**SPLASH!**

* * *

_Atchoo!_ Sneezing for the umpteenth time, Brandy wiped his snivelling nose and impatiently waited for Seth to finish redressing his wounds, despite her strength, she handled the procedure very delicately. When she was done, she smiled cheerfully and smacked him from behind- causing him to crash into a wall.

"All done!"

"Except for this new fucking bruise on my spine," Brandy grumbled at her, but muttered a quiet 'thank-you' punctually afterwards. He trudged out of the medic room, with a red nose and back pains, but besides that, he was in good shape and still healthy. "_Atchoo!_ Geez, I hate colds."

Smirking; Anne passed them with a fat selection of tomes. "That's what you get when you're trying to act like a hero," she said to him airily. "And also, I'm sure it's just karma getting back at you for strangling poor Waltz. You almost killed that dear pirate."

The memory was still fresh on everyone's mind, since it was morbidly comical; Brandy shot out a rope-dart from a small compartment on his ankle, it flew towards the market ship and wrapped round the first object it came close to- which was somehow Wake's neck. Thinking that they were under attack, Anne unintentionally loosened her blood whip, allowing Brandy to slip through and dive into the ocean after Tesler. Seth fortunately managed to grab onto the gasping swordsman as he almost fell overboard, though the rope tightened around his neck in the process.

With a scowl Brandy lumbered away. "I already said _sorry_ to him! Not that he'll remember, but at least I said it!" he shouted back at Anne, quickly moving out of the galley. He glanced back and saw Seth still dutifully following him, making sure he was not stumbling as he walked. "Hey doc, what's for dinner?"

Seth placed an index finger onto her chin. "Ah, potatoes!"

_Well, it's better than that Dark Matter that retarded samurai makes_ Brandy thought to himself, climbing out onto the open deck, he spotted a familiar figure standing on the platform, still as a statue.

"Monroe, can I have some time alone?" Brandy asked. A nod and a smile was given in response and she disappeared back inside.

_Atchoo! _It took longer than he had expected, and it gnawed at his energy quicker than usual as Brandy ascended the rung and clambered onto the small scaffolding, mildly surprising Tesler who watched the teal-haired teenager clumsily draw to his feet. Suddenly unable to think of something to say, he began to fidget like an anxious child. "How... erm, _atchoo! _You healing?"

A grin spread across Tesler's facial features. "Well, my scalp still aches from where you yanked me out of the water, but besides that, I feel like a fruitcake," he chirped, it was unclear whether he was sarcastic or not. Even so; he was wearing the largest amount of bandages and plasters against anyone on _Titanic_. The mutilated arm of his was bound firmly with wooden support and a whole roll of trusses, it was heavy enough to be able to knock the wind out of someone.

Brandy rolled his eyes. "Your jokes are as bad as Kara's."

His statement made Tesler look up. "Oh, so you befriended little Kara whilst we were all busy?"

"She told me about you," Brandy explained. "You know; how you used to go to the same orphanage as her and some others, but you left to join the Marines and by the time you got back... well, Krypt happened." He paused, noting that he was treading on unstable ground. The mention of the man brought a heavy, ethereal curtain of muteness. "Sorry, it isn't my business to know this kind of thing."

"It's alright, what different does it make? Either way, I'll always be that not-very-nice chap," Tesler said, the grin not fading. "In fact, I've done worse than you could ever imagine, just to make sure Krypt's puppeteer wouldn't touch Kara's group with Pinocchio. I would liked to think it was heroic but I wasn't fooling myself."

Brandy shrugged his shoulders. "Right..." _Atchoo!_ He shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to another, not knowing where to focus his gaze. "Had a rough time with it all?"

"Childhood was quite cheerful back at the orphanage, but everything else was a little choppy," Tesler replied lightly, visiting the reels of his past through the back of his head. "The Marines were fun for a while but then I realised something." He slid to the floor and pressed his face against the wooden rails. "Sometimes being a Marine was not much different from being a pirate, either way we're still spilling blood."

The sky went from orange to a salmon pink as the sun sank lower into the golden sea. "My dad told me that the Marine coats are white, so blood can show up on it easily. It takes a while to wash off, to remind us of whatever crap we've done," Brandy stated flatly. "Didn't mean much to a ten-year-old kid but I guess when you grow old, all you can do is yap and try look important."

Glancing upwards, Tesler inquired, "Is he still alive?"

"What gave you the impression that he was _dead_?"

He laughed, but not in his usual burlesque manner, it was more genuine. When it died away, the two shared a moment of understanding silence as the yawning sun dipped slowly, leaving a veil of a tawny yellow over the ship. "I don't think I'll ever be able to teleport like I used to anymore," Tesler suddenly said and gently touched his bound arm. "So unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'd be able to search for your little sister again."

Brandy shrugged again. "She won't listen to you anyway, you have to literally beat the hell out of her to get her to use her ears," he sighed and finally sat down next to Tesler. "Need to find her before _I_ get into trouble as well. Seriously, just because she wants to be a damn Pirate King. How is a moron like her going to pull it off anyway?"

A moment of peace paused their conversation, Tesler looked quite thoughtful before saying, "From what I had heard from you and Allister, I'm able to picture quite an amusing image of her," he said softly. "How interesting, I'd like to see that..." the original, overly-done smile returned."...how a little, naiive child like her, fairs in the world of piracy."

A familiar, heavy pit churned at the bottom of Brandy's stomach. "Wh- _atchoo!_ What are you saying?"

"I'm going to stalk your sister!"

"DON'T USE CREEPY PHRASES LIKE THAT! REWORD IT, DAMN IT!"

Laughing once more, Tesler rose to his feet. The remnants of the sun was nothing more than several desperate rays of withered gold, tracing the outlines of clouds and rocks at its scenery. Nodding at appreciation of the view, the archaeologist began retreating from the high platform. "Well then, I better find myself a cabin."

"NO ONE SAID YOU CAN STAY!" Brandy stumbled after him. "TELEPORT OUTTA HERE! NOW!" And with that, Brandy earned himself a new guest on _Titanic._

* * *

A tired middle-aged woman exited the cell, a bundle of notes being carried under her arm. She saw her superior waiting for her at the end of the corridor and hastily made a salute.

"Lieutenant Commander, sir," she greeted him.

Chorley didn't look up. "How was it?"

The woman coughed into a closed fist. "Well… Allister Krypt doesn't appear to remember anything."

Next to Chorley was as always, his faithful companion Blanca Rose. She was thumbing through a collection of Wanted posters as if it was a fashion magazine under she heard the reply. "Come again?"

"Mr. Krypt has no memory of even deciding to create his second ship _My Lady_, let alone start the Pinocchio project," the interrogator concluded. "We've ran many tests with him and found him honest of what he has said."

Chorley contemplated on the matter. "How does that compare to the others you have interviewed?"

"All of them generally placed blame on Mr. Krypt for everything," she answered. "Unfortunately, we were unable to determine who exactly was supplying Mr. Krypt of Pinocchio." His silence was her signal to continue. "He collected the drug in private and never discussed with his employees about the dealer. Only his archaeologist has been known to accompany him in the trading."

Thoughtfully; Chorley tapped his finger against the table. "So where is the archaeologist?"

"That's the problem," the woman replied tiredly. "According to witnesses, he was instantly taken under the care of a teal-haired boy on a ship named _Titantic_."

Only then Chorley made some sort of reaction. "How interesting."

Near the mouth of the hallway was a pink-haired young adult who was listening into their conversation, after hearing all that he needed to know he silently sauntered away. "A teal-haired boy," Rafael echoed. "Well, that makes things a lot more easier."

* * *

**lol surprisingly no one picked up on Yasu's name XD**** I pretty much zoomed through the rest of the plot. I've been adding lots of unnecessary blocks of text to make my writing look more classy so sorry for drawling out some parts and whizzing through others. Sorry about the typos too, this chapter is so freaking long that I really just can't care anymore...**

**Hopefully something more light-hearted will be added along with Tock vs Redcliffe. Anyone going to guess the outcome of their battle?**

**Oh yeah, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY IN TEN MINUTES!**

**For some cute fanart by DaisyAlligator- LOVE YOU!**

**browse(dot)deviantart(dot)com/?order=5&q=seth%20monroe#/d38y9mh**

**browse(dot)deviantart(dot)com/?order=5&q=seth%20monroe#/d38z10a  
**

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon **  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Rose  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Astaro Pirates- (spoilers)  
**-**RoyalCoat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron, Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) **  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator_

**For now; I've closed OC submissions! I do need yonkou pirates later on... much later, but since they're not coming anytime soon I might as well just close up so I don't need to make even more people wait for their OCs to appear.**


	10. Pursuit IX: Powerless Captain

** L**

Pursuit IX: Powerless Captain

**_Recap_****:** _Anne_ and _Brandy_ had finally reunited and came to the revelation that _Tesler_ may not be their real enemy- unfortunately during the time _Wake_ had managed to apply significant damage towards the archaeologist. _Seth_ too had beaten her opponent. The _Gold-Blood pirates_ are assisting _Krypt_in getting rid of Brandy's team, unaware of Krypt's misdeeds. The project he has been secretly working on has recently been Shichibukai _Love Rafael_'s newest mission. _Clockwork Tock_ continues to recruit the last possible member.

* * *

A map was rolled out onto the table. "This island was the place where I had located Rum One-Shot," Tesler stated, pointing at an unnamed island. "It had used to be considered a place inhabitable due to the constant flooding which gets so extreme the entire island goes underwater, but recently someone found a shipwright who was able to build a high enough wall round the island in time before the next flood occurred. It is now a rising star holiday resort."

Anne lips curled to show she was impressed. "Skilled craftsman."

Eagerly Brandy pushed forward in the forming crowd and glared at the island. "It's still two days away from here... do you think she'll still be there?"

"Yes, you see she was invited by a special guest for a week's stay," Tesler explained. "She was on day three when I visited." There was something odd behind Tesler's smile though, he was holding something behind the strained smirk like a private joke.

"So... what's the catch?" Brandy inquired reluctantly.

This made Tesler grin even wider. "This holiday resort is very specific about its customers, Rum One-Shot herself had to apply to the rules unless she wouldn't have been allowed to enter in the first place." He bathed in glory as everyone stared at him with curiosity. "You see, this island's name has been branded as _Honeymoon Island_."

Brandy gagged and backed away quickly, Anne raised her eyebrows and Wake snapped open from his snooze.

"So basically; only couples are allowed to enter."

* * *

The Blood Mistress was in basic terms: _pissed._

The Lightning Pirates knew better than get in her way when she was in foul mood, in fact, they tried to stay out of her way in all occasions. Yes, she was undeniably beautiful with silk-like black hair, fair skin which had never seen spots and a figure which could make any man blush wildly. On the other hand, she was by any means a demon at heart. Alexa Kuruvin was well known for her ruthless personality and her merciless torture against others, something everyone was regularly reminded of whenever they made a raid against a passing ship.

Hence why everyone happily threw themselves to the side to avoid getting into Kuruvin's line of sight. She stormed passed them with her gaze focused on one thing only; the captain's cabin door.

"Zarem!" she barked, barging through with a violent shove.

Sitting behind the desk was a very tall man with powerful muscles, tanned skin and a large black bear hanging on his chin. He raised his eyebrows and put down the map he was studying. "What's the matter, Alexa?"

She flashed him a livid glare. "What the matter?" she echoed. "What's the _matter_? What the blood hell are we _doing_? We're meant to be stealing from some weakling crew or make bloody carnages or annoy the Marines! We are _not_ meant to be hunting for a bratty little _girl_!"

The captain winced, the last sentence was delivered to him via a scream. "Alexa, you already know how my son feels about this. Besides, she managed to cut him quite deeply, I'm interested in her weapon and want to look at it more closely."

Kuruvin paced up and down the cabin, fiddling the end of her black jacket to distract her from breaking some unfortunate piece of furniture. "What's so important about her anyway? She's just... for the love of Poseidon, she reminds me of a bloody sea urchin!"

"Just hold out a little longer," the captain said flatly, barely keeping any interest in what she was saying. "We've found her, she's on an island which isn't too far from here. We'll made a short cut down Brigg's Cross and it'll be all over."

Another glare was thrown at his direction. "You better be right..." she snarled and quickly exited the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Brigg's Cross was in just a few hours away, meaning it would not take long for them to reach _that_girl. Still, she felt dissatisfied, perhaps picking on the junior shipwright would make her feel better. Yes, that could do. Kuruvin quickly glanced at a window to check on her appearance, another button had gone undone on her shirt but she wasn't too worried about that. When happy with what she was seeing, she spun round and almost crashed into someone.

A plate of food crashed onto the floor, golden curry spat over the person's shoes.

With a grimace; the Lightning Pirate chef bent down to pick up the broken pieces of china. "Don't move so suddenly," he grumbled.

Kuruvin's eyes narrowed and she 'accidentally' trod on his hand as she walked by. "Don't lurk behind someone's back," she retorted.

Then he snapped.

"Why don't you just stick a-" before he finished his comment, three men jumped on top of the chef with their hands clumsily keeping his mouth tightly shut.

The navigator then rushed to Kuruvin's side and bared a polite smile. "Miss Kuruvin, it's such a hot day you know, should I fetch you something cool to drink?" Behind him, the junior chef scrambled to attention, ready to rush madly to the kitchen for whatever was going to be ordered.

In all honesty, the Lightning Pirates were not the brightest bunch of pirates raging the seas, but they exceeded hellishly well at teamwork.

* * *

The 'Captain' of _Titanic_ was in basic terms: _pissed._

He finished throwing up whatever was left in his stomach and returned to the kitchen with a grey face. He seized hold of the plates of half-eaten Dark matter on the table and flung it all overboard with overfilling enthusiasm.

"We are _so_ hiring a chef!" he growled, watching in satisfaction the purple-black substance sink into the sea. "I don't care where we meet him, who he is or if he's a bloody Marine. The next chef I see with my eyes is going to be dragged onto this ship and will stay here until I can find a way to kill fucking Waltzer."

Sipping a cup of milk tea, Anne watched him over the hardback book she was reading. "Hmm, good luck with that. He didn't get 34,000,000 beri on his head for nothing."

Tesler was perched on the wooden banister leading onto the main deck, he was eating the only plate left of Wake's home-made food. He had to balance it on his knee since his left arm was still bandaged up. "Well, you have to convince senpai that he's in danger first. Then see if he remembers that if our 'Captain' is an apparent devil-fruit user."

The teal-haired teenager stalked past them with a dark expression. "Thanks for the support."

"I'd be careful if I were you," Tesler called out to him. "You are practically the weakest out of everyone on this ship."

Brandy froze from his steps.

He turned, wearing a mildly taken-back expression. "_What_?"

"Even if you do harbor a devil-fruit, I hardly believe it is the most useful of all things since you had never applied it in battle," Tesler explained, his smile stretching painfully. "The sunny little doctor here has proved her worth by breaking an entire _ship_with one hit, I already found myself being able to beat you and her quite easily, your navigator is without doubt the smartest and most strategic of our rag-tag team, and Wake-senpai is probably unfortunately the strongest due to his skill and experience as a pirate swordsman."

Once again Anne diverted her attention away from the book, she glanced up at Brandy to study his reaction.

Tesler gave a toothy grin and scraped off the remnants of his plate. "As for you, dear sir, is all but a mystery. Or have you already played all your cards in front of us?" he inquired softly. "From the stories I've heard from here, you go as far as being able to fight off small-time criminals or standard Marine soldiers- which of course is rather impressive for a child at your age but can you really fight head on against pirates?"

He hopped off from his seat and approached Brandy slowly. "I, am _nothing_ compared to the world your sister happily stepped into. I have no idea how either of you are going to manage the way you are. For now, I advise you rely on the people you have hired to assist you on this adventure."

Brandy grabbed the front of Tesler's black vest and roughly pulled him forward so their noses almost touched.

"I am bringing Rum home," he said between gritted teeth. "You don't need to be here, no one invited you. Remember that." He then stormed away with doubled irritation, grumbling foul words under his breath.

The navigator shut her book with a snap. "That wasn't very nice," she commented. "You could've broken it to him more gently."

Tesler laughed. "Now what's the fun in that? Shame, I was hoping he'd blow up or something."

The sound of walls being torn down and furniture thrown out a window rumbled from the floors beneath them.

Anne curled her lips. "Well done for succeeding."

Suddenly, a large thump was heard behind them. Seth landed in a heap on the floor after daringly deciding to jump straight off from the crow's nest. She quickly drew to her feet, unfazed by the impact the crash had caused, a skinny arm waving madly to the ocean.

"There's a ship ahead!" she announced. "Pirate ship!"

Anne and Tesler exchanged glances.

"Go find the chef," Anne told him softly. "It'll be a good bribery for Brandy-kun's forgiveness."

Tesler let out a dramatic sigh, adding a fake gasp of shock horror to add to it. "Fine then, but I'm taking Miss Sunshine with me."

Miss Sunshine inclined her head. "Eh?"

* * *

Cowering in the corner of the room was a white-faced, teal-haired young man, green eyes staring in icy fear at the pirate standing before him.

"Wh-What do you want?" he tried to sound confident, but failed rather well. "I'm the n-nephew of a Marine A-Admiral! D-Don't you think you'll get away with this!"

A pink eyebrow was raised at him. "Really now? How about if I say: I don't really care?" he took several steps further, causing the man to scramble madly despite his back was already touching the wall. "Something... tells me that you're not the right person I'm looking for."

Confusion washed over the distraught young man. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"Your ship name, please."

A long pause. "T-Titania."

Love Rafael blinked in surprise, he then heaved his shoulders and headed to the door. "Blasted erosion, I crossed three seas for nothing."

Five long, intense minutes after he left, the man was still frozen in his spot at dark corner of his office. A groaning man with blood stained at the side of his face stumbled into the room.

"Captain One-Shot, the pirate had left..." the employee reported.

Sighing in relief, the man slumped onto the floor, for once not caring that his hair was in a mess. "G-Get my Den Den Mushi... put the Admiral on the line." Just what did his younger siblings do _now_?

* * *

There was a knock on the office door.

"This better be good!" Zarem called from inside, clearly not in the mood to be listening into whatever issues of the day.

A nervous face emerged into the room, his hand gesturing to the outside world. "Erm... ship ahoy."

Zarem shrugged his shoulders. "Raid it," he said simply. Usually, he'd join in the vigorous activities but was wanting to have a little more peace on his own for the afternoon. "Make sure Turgo doesn't drown himself."

Turgo Astaro was the name of Zarem's son, he was just as- or even more cruel than his father, having a reputation for 'keeping' the women he fought for a while and then finally killed them when they bore him. It made even the fellow crew members squeamish.

The rookie pirate shuddered a little, nodded twice and shut the door carefully so it wouldn't slam.

Seth and Tesler saw the ship deliberately edging towards them, men aligned along the side with cutlasses and gun at the ready.

"Nice to see the hosts have prepared us entertainment," Tesler joked, a hand resting on the handle of his knife. He glanced at Seth with an animated smile. "Ladies first."

Dark eyes blinked at him. "Oh, okay!" She flew off _Titantic_, though the gap was far too wide for an ordinary person to cross even with a rope, she easily made the jump onto the enemy ship, landing heavily on her feet. "Operation make Captain Urchin happy commences!" she chimed.

Tesler teleported, reappearing at her side with a blade spinning in his fingers. "Try not to break this ship as quickly as you've done to _My Lady_, please."

They both dove into the crowding pirates. Seth threw simple punches and kicks which cannonballed them overboard or hurled them straight into each other making a domino effect. She eventually went on to breaking off the large trunk of the mast and use it as a make-shift bat, wielding it like it was a twig. She earned several shocked opponents.

"This kid ain't normal!" a man cried.

"Watch out! She's swingin' it this way!"

"Someone stop her before she breaks everything!"

The mast then stopped. It was being held at the other end by a pair of monstrous arms, the arms belonging to a grossly fat pirate who was three time the size of an ordinary adult. His piggy eyes had a sinful glint to it, drool escaping from the corner of his pudgy lips.

Seth released her hold on the grip and went to slam a fist onto the man's stomach. She felt her entire arm being sucked in by the soft flab and to her misfortune- she couldn't break free.

"Um..." she scanned the ship wildly for anything to help her.

The pirate took no notice that she just tried to hit him. He patted her sandy hair almost delicately with a meaty hand.

"You're pretty," he said happily. "You'll be my next pet until Dad gets me Rum."

Tesler was having the same ease at defeating his enemies. Many first underestimated him because of his handicap but Tesler felt as if he was just having a stroll in the park- but having to wave a knife at the same time.

A whip cracked by his feet, causing the wooden planks to splinter, Tesler's eyes followed the weapon which was in the hands of a buxom woman with a playful smirk graced onto her lips.

"Why hello there, Stranger," Kuruvin purred. "Haven't I seen you before? In my dreams?"

Tesler's trademark smile flickered.

_..that One-Shot better be grateful when I find that chef._

* * *

The sound of screaming, yelling and clashing blades awoke the swordsman. He rolled out of bed dressed in only a grubby shirt and black trousers, he did not bother with a hair tie or shoes but used Enigma almost as a walking stick to assist him in getting out into the corridor.

Brandy too rushed out of his own room.

"You hear that too?" he asked, schooling a serious mask.

Wake yawned, and sleepily tilted his head. "Huh...?"

"The noises, it sounds like they're having a bloody war upstairs."

"I don't... remember..."

"But it was just seconds a-" Brandy paused. "Someday I _will_ find out how to kill you." He marched past his drowsy comrade and went to inspect the commotion for himself. He bumped into someone at a sharp corner which lead to the stairs.

In front of Brandy were five men armed with sharp weapons, looking just as startled as he was.

They shrugged at each other, thoroughly confused with the sight of the boy.

"Is he...?"

"Nah, it's a guy."

"Perhaps they're related?"

"Coincidence?"

Brandy twitched. "What the hell are you all doing on my ship?"

The person standing at the back of the crowd cleared his throat. "Go on ahead, I'll take care of their Captain."

It was odd how calmly Brandy allowed them to pass him, unknown to them- the most dangerous crewmember of _Titantic_ was just ahead.

_"Can you really fight head on against pirates?" _Tesler's words were echoing in Brandy's head, almost as if the man himself was whispering them into his ear. He closed his eyes for a moment, forcing out the grinning archaeologist from his thoughts, but the image stubbornly stayed.

His enemy was definitely older than him, most likely Wake's or Anne's age. He was stocky, not exactly the most fit-looking of men. To Brandy's sheer delight though, the pirate was also clad in a white chef's head and an equally paper-white apron tied to his waist.

"You're a chef?" Brandy sounded all but too eager.

There was a slight wait. "Yes, I am."

Brandy knew that this was a gift sent from The Ocean. He was going to first prove the smiling bastard wrong but beating up a pirate and secondly, he was going to have a properly cooked meal which he was going to enjoy.

* * *

** Omake: The Narrative OC MEME by MeAsTheNarrator**

**I.** Choose up to five (5) of your favorite original story characters that will embark in this role-play. If you don't have five (5) then leave them blank (or create a character on the spot!) Be sure to give a little description of them:

*Just went for the kill and listed up their TV tropes*

1. _Brandy One-Shot_- Hot Blooded, Jerk with Heart of Gold, Perpetual Frowner, Fan Nickname, Tsundere, With Friends Like These, Artificial Limbs, Anatomy Arsenal, Big Brother Instinct, Idiot Hero, Leeroy Jenkins, Berserk Button, Straight Man

2. _Seth Monroe_- World Strongest Man, Does Not Know His Own Strength, There Is No Kill Like Overkill, Cute Bruiser, Badass Adorable, Cheerful Child, Beware of the Nice Ones, Killer Rabbit, Happy Fun Ball, Super Fun Happy Thing of Doom, Super Strong Child

3. _Wake Waltz_- Crouching Moron Hidden Badass, Absurdly Sharp Blade, Badass Longcoat, Long Haired Pretty Boy, Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy, Sleepy Head, Cloud Cuckoolander, The Ditz, Let's Get Dangerous, Samurai, Took A Level in Badass

4. _Anne- _Straight Man, You Fail Biology Forever, Only Sane Woman, The Smart Guy, Femme Fatale, Action Girl, Friend To All Children, Wouldn't Hurt a Child, Surrounded by Idiots, Badass Bookworm, The Stoic, The Runaway, Secretly Wealthy

5. _John Tesler_- Slasher Smile, Face Heel Turn, Dissonant Serenity, Cheshire Cat Grin, Perpetual Smile, Anti Hero, Not Evil Just Misunderstood, Chaotic Neutral, Knife Nut, Hired Guns, Big Brother Instinct, Enigmatic Minion, Noble Demon, Teleport Spam

**II.** One of your characters decides to make a grand entrance into a random tavern. How does that go? Pick either Character One/Brandy or Character Four/Anne :

People drank from their heavy pitchers in silence, glass chinked against the amber liquid which slipped through their throats. The barman wordlessly polished the glasses for the third time, they were already clean but he rubbed the cloth against them anyhow. Low murmurs bubbled for a little while in discussion of the recent appearance of pirates, but they all soon died down to a shared moment of silence.

Then the doors flung open.

A young adult, or perhaps still a teenager- marched into the serene calamity, see-green eyes flitting towards the men who looked up, his face drawn tightly as if he was clenching his teeth too hard, the rest of him was covered by a wide-rimmed hat and a long, ragged traveller's cloak. He approached the startled barman who put down a shining glass and folded his hands neatly behind his back.

"How may I help you, sir?" the barman asked politely.

There was silence.

"Can you point me to the toilets?"

**III.** Jealous, Character Three/Wake tries to make a grand entrance as well but somehow fails… why is that?

People drank from their heavy pitchers in silence, glass chinked against the amber liquid which slipped through their throats. The barman wordlessly polished the glasses for the third time, they were already clean but he rubbed the cloth against them anyhow. Low murmurs bubbled for a little while in discussion of the recent appearance of pirates, but they all soon died down to a shared moment of silence.

Then the doors flung open.

A darkly-cladded man with silver hair emerged into the serene calamity, hooded grey eyes gazed blankly ahead of him, as if he could not register the attention he was drawing around him. He approached the startled barman who put down a shining glass and folded his hands neatly behind his back.

"How may I help you, sir?" the barman asked politely.

There was silence.

"Sorry, I forgot..."

**IV.** A character is surrounded by many enemies and decides that the only thing they can do is fight! How does that go? Pick either Character Two/Seth or Character Five/Tesler

A wide smile stretched across Tesler's face, he spun a dagger in an expert fashion, making the air whistle as he cut through it neatly. He took one step forward and...

...the exorcists madly went for a retreat.

**V.** Character Three/Wake is depressed and decides to get drunk.

The first time Wake ever tried alcohol was when he was ten years old, he saw his teachers share it mirthfully together whenever there was a celebration, yet he and the rest of the students were not allowed to even touch a cupful. His sister ceased his curiosity by sneaking a whole bottle out from the teacher's office. It smelt peculiar at the time, not exactly horribly but just odd.

At the age of twenty-five, Wake finally was able to appreciate the sweet tang of sake, he was not sure if he enjoyed any other type of beverages but sake was something that he would like to drink once in a while. The more which slid through his throat, the more blank-minded he became. That was a good thing. He needed to forget. He needed to forget everything.

He needed to forget his sins.

**VI.** An event like no other takes place and Character One/Brandy and Character Two/Seth get into a battle to the death. Who wins?

The Glare of Absolute Disapproval radiated from the captain. "Monroe," he growled. "We are _not_ keeping that damned cat, you hear me?"

Seth looked heartbroken, her wide dark eyes gazed into the bundle of toffee fluff, sleeping so innocently in her arms, soft mews escaping from its mouth. Yet Brandy- her captain- her sea-urchin comrade- wanted to rid the poor thing into the violent storm outside.

"C-Captain... y-you..." she was on the verge of tears, her voice wobbling like fragile glass. "YOU IDIOT!"

Tesler and Anne vowed never to tease Miss Sunshine again after seeing the unfortunate teal-haired boy in hospital with a broken arm, both his prosthetic legs ripped from their chords, three broken ribs, a blackening bruise on his stomach, a shattered shoulder and a crooked nose.

**VII.** Character Four/Anne or Character Five/Tesler accidentally drink a love potion. Who do they fall in love with first? Character Two/Seth or Character Three/Wake?

His smile was more strange than usual- which was saying something.

"I'm glad you know CPR, dear doctor," Tesler sighed, patting the girl on the head. "Because you just take my breath away..."

Brandy spat out his drink.

**VIII.** Since Character Four/Anne or Character Five/Tesler are under a love spell, how do they try to spoil their partner?

"I wouldn't," Anne warned, flicking through the pages of her book.

Brandy raised his eyebrows. Rarely did Anne ever try have him avoid trouble or a surprise of some sort, it usually would just amuse her hence why she acted frequently as the silent audience. So, what got her worked up about a cuboid, white object stationary in their kitchen? "It's just a fridge."

"Fine, just don't take it out on me."

Rolling his eyebrows Brandy ripped the fridge door open.

"WHAT THE FU-!"

Sealed packets of fresh blood and organs with heart-shaped labels spilled out onto the floor, all labelled for the dear doctor.

"TESLER!"

**IX.** Character Two/Seth tries to steal from either Character One/Brandy or Character Five/Tesler. Do they succeed?

She peeked into his room, surely he wouldn't mind- it was such an insignificant little thing that he might not even notice. Yes, that would be true, why would he be concerned over it anyway? Seth tiptoed into the room, she only was trying not to wake him because it was not even worth disturbing him over, yup, that was right. She fumbled in the darkness and in triumph found what she was looking for. Then discreetly and quietly, she crept out.

The next morning a distraught captain went wildly hunting for his hand-mirror.

**X.** Character Three/Wake throws a slumber party but only invites one person. Which character did they invite?

The entire evening could be summed up as awkward. Nothing in the room actually implied anything, there was just one bed shoved to the side of the room, a camping-bed placed next to it with a thick duvet thrown on top of it. A disused table finally was able to do something significant by holding out two cups of hot chocolate, a plate of shortbread biscuits and a single candle to act as a light source.

"As much as I'm flattered you've asked me to join you in a... slumber party, I think it would've been more suitable if you picked a male member of this ship, Waltz," Anne said flatly.

Wake finished putting on his cotton pyjamas. "...there were other members?"

**XI.** All of the Characters get together for a 'wholesome' dinner… does it go well? Give details.

Seth ended up frantically trying to treat all her comrades from intensive food poisoning which Brandy had claimed was 'more fucked up' than Dark Matter.

They called the evil substance Tesler's Pet Kitten.

**XII.** Mysteriously, Character One/Brandy dies. Character Three/Wake and Character Five/Tesler are the only ones around. How do they react?

Raising her eyebrows, Anne stared at the two with disbelief. "What do you mean you don't know how he died? You were both there at the scene!" she exclaimed, clearly furious with the bland response.

Tesler winced as he brought an ice-pack to the bruise on his face. "I wasn't exactly conscious you see, I got horribly injured by a horse in a freak accident."

So the navigator diverted her attention to Wake instead. "And you?"

"...I was on the horse."

Standing next to them was a policeman who was busy scribbling down onto his notepad. "The boy I think you're talking about got hit by the ambulance meant for the samurai."

**XIII.** Character Three/Wake gets into an accident. What were they riding? How did it happen?

Wake was daydreaming, aftermath is above.

**XIV.** Character Two/Seth tries to get a job with the help of Character Three/Wake and Character Four/Anne. How did that go?

It was a solemn funeral; several sudden widows sobbed harder as earth hit the coffins below, children buried themselves into their mothers' black coats, muffling up their own cries. Standing just a little apart from them were Anne and Wake, both two dressed in the sombre black theme.

"Who knew the doctor would take our advice so seriously?" Anne mumbled to the half awake swordsman.

Telling a kid with super strength- 'Knock 'em dead' is not advised.

**XV.** Character Three/Wake or Character Four/Anne decide to leave a tavern. How does that go? Why did they leave?

People drank from their heavy pitchers in silence, glass chinked against the amber liquid which slipped through their throats. The barman wordlessly polished the glasses for the third time, they were already clean but he rubbed the cloth against them anyhow. Low murmurs bubbled for a little while in discussion of the recent appearance of pirates, but they all soon died down to a shared moment of silence.

Then the doors flung open.

A darkly-cladded man with silver hair emerged into the serene calamity, hooded grey eyes gazed blankly ahead of him, as if he could not register the attention he was drawing around him. He approached the startled barman who put down a shining glass and folded his hands neatly behind his back.

"How may I help you, sir?" the barman asked politely.

There was silence.

"Sorry, I forgot..."

He then turned round and traced his steps back to the door.

"...oh, and have you seen my hat?"

**XVI.** Character One/Brandy wakes up in the bed with a random character of your choice!

Since Seth had always without fail made sure everything was clean and fresh, the first thing Brandy would wake up to was the smell of flowery soap used to wash the sheets. He nuzzled into them, appreciating their warmth and scent, the person next to him copied him. They both decided a few more minutes wouldn't hurt in bed.

_Wait, what?_

Brandy's eyes snapped open, focusing intently the pillow next to him.

It was a black hat.

**XVII.** A character of your choice becomes a supreme being and creates the world in their image.

A world of rainbows, candy-cotton clouds and sparkly stars exploded into the multicoloured sky.

Seth smiled in satisfiction.

Brandy collapsed from disorientation.

**XVIII.** Before we go, all of your characters want to take a moment to ask you (their creator) for something that they have always wanted.

1. Brandy: I want a cooler devil-fruit, damn it!

2. Seth: More people to join us!

3. Wake: My hat...

4. Anne: A place in the world of peace and quiet!

5. Tesler: My arm.

* * *

**How many One-Shot are going to be in the story? I shall tell you now before you get bored of all these teal-haired weirdos:**

**There is Champagne and Nancy One-Shot, the respectable mother and father of the family. Then there's the uncle- Gin One-Shot, also the Big Daddy in the way. In age order: unnamed One-Shot dude who acts like a sissy, Sherry, Brandy and then the baby of the family: Rum. Sissy One-Shot is also the guy who is going to be head of the family when the father snuffs it. Be very worried.**

**Once again, Happy Birthday Akira! (though saying that Wake didn't really get much of a huge part on this chapter...), so sorry if it seems I've rushed it. I snipped out a lot of the intensive fights since they usually take longer to write. I added a written meme at the end which I never really intended on uploading but did just to make it longer lol **

**To find even more horrible pick up lines, just google it. XD**

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus__**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon **  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Rose  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Lightning Pirates- Captain Zarem Astaro "the Untouchable Lightning", "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin (first mate), "Abominatin" Turgo Asator  
**-**RoyalCoat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron, Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) **  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator_

**For now; I've closed OC submissions! I do need yonkou pirates later on... much later, but since they're not coming anytime soon I might as well just close up so I don't need to make even more people wait for their OCs to appear.**


	11. Pursuit IX:I

**A L C O H O L**

Hi guys, I originally wanted to stop this story, but after having a dream where a smiling doctor threw me out of the window screaming 'PIRATE!' I figured that was the sign I needed to get back here. Since it's been a while, I've decided to give everyone a recap of what is going on and who are the characters so far. My updates won't be so hot, please do bare with me though, I'll try my best along with your support :)

* * *

_recap_

_Tesler_ has sighted _Rum One-Shot_ who apparently is staying at _Honeymoon Island_ with a man who is powerful enough to make Tesler retreat with wounds.

Then, after bluntly stating that the 'Captain' was the weakest member of the crew, _Tesler_ goes all out for for an apology gift by stealing the chef from the recent pirate ship they bumped into, _Seth_ assists him happily. Meanwhilst, _Brandy_ decides to redeem himself by fighting the chef himself, leaving _Wake_ to deal with a group of pirates down the hall.

As that is happening, shichibukai _Love Rafael_ is hunting down _Tesler_ for his mission which is to solve the _Pinocchio drug_ case under Admiral One-Shot's orders.

Shichibukai _Tock_ is performing his own duty by overseeing another warlord candidate, _Chance Redcliffe_ by threatening to create a carnage.

* * *

_main characters_

_Brandy One-Shot_-  
nephew of Admiral One-Shot, proudly wearing his family's distinctive features of green eyes, teal hair swept away from the face and a sash tied to his waist. He fights via artificial legs which has the ability to fire projectiles or release a sharpened blade. Brandy is the cranky, foul-mouthed leader of the rag-tag team in search for his younger sister who had brashly set out on a journey to become Pirate King.

_Seth Monroe_-  
a cheerful, smiley and happy doctor who loves to give nicknames. She wears a bright flower in her sandy hair, and an equally bright and colourful top with her shorts. Still, she has eaten Riki Riki no Mi granting her superhuman strength.

_Wake Waltz_-  
also known as the Sleeping Curse, with a 34,000,000 beri bounty on his pirate head. Main characteristics is that he is **extremely** forgetful and holds great affection for his hat. Wake has long silver hair in a ponytail, silver eyes and clothed in a black coat and hat. He fights with a very large sword named Enigma, has a second katana wrapped in bandages which he never uses.

_Anne-  
_a runaway noble girl who serves as a navigator for Brandy's crew, she is intelligent, level-headed and has a soft spot for children. Anne has blond hair tied up and notably cuts and scars on all her fingers where she cut herself deliberately to use her devil fruit that allows her to manipulate her own blood- the Doki Doki no Mi.

_John Tesler_-  
he too has a nickname, going by 'Reaper Smile,' since he has an always present sinister grin. He used to work as an archaeologist / assassin for a corrupt merchant, only to defend his 'sisters' who grew up in the same orphanage as him. Has dark hair with generally dark clothes, and carries a total of six bladed weapons on him. Fights along with his devil the Tele Tele no Mi, though he is currently going through long recovery from his last battle.

* * *

I will be putting constant reminders and things with the story so don't feel compelled to having to read everything from the beginning. I am taking **no** more characters unfortunately, but you are always welcome to just read.

Here are some random mysteries which all haven't been solved yet!

1. Who is the powerful man Rum is with?

2. Where did Wake's hat come from?

3. What is Brandy's devil fruit?

4. Who is Yasu?

5. Who gave Krypt the Pinocchio drug?

6. Will Brandy and Rum ever use their Houshi Twins disguise again?

Do you want to remember who's on the list?

**BRANDY'S CREW:- all taken**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus__**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon **  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS:- all taken**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Rose  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Lightning Pirates- Captain Zarem Astaro "the Untouchable Lightning", "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin (first mate), "Abominatin" Turgo Asator  
**-**RoyalCoat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron, Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) **  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Hitoshura-ha- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator_

* * *

**If you're alive and willing to forgive me for being such a lazy-ass, do give me a shout!**


	12. Pursuit X: Unofficial Chef

**ALCOHOL**

Pursuit X: Unofficial Chef

* * *

_Previously ALCOHOL..._

_Tesler_ has sighted _Rum One-Shot_ who apparently is staying at _Honeymoon Island_ with a man who is powerful enough to make Tesler retreat with wounds.

Then, after bluntly stating that the 'Captain' was the weakest member of the crew, _Tesler_ goes all out for for an apology gift by stealing the chef from the recent pirate ship they bumped into, _Seth_ assists him happily. Meanwhilst, _Brandy_ decides to redeem himself by fighting the chef himself, leaving _Wake_ to deal with a group of pirates down the hall.

As that is happening, shichibukai _Love Rafael_ is hunting down _Tesler_ for his mission which is to solve the _Pinocchio drug_ case under Admiral One-Shot's orders.

Shichibukai _Tock_ is performing his own duty by overseeing another warlord candidate, _Chance Redcliffe_ by threatening to create a carnage.

* * *

_"I know it won't be the same Monroe... but after I find Rum, I'll give you my ship."_

* * *

Armed with a ladle and butcher's knife, the olive-skinned man charged at Brandy, swinging the weapons round in a surprisingly deadly manner. His apron flapped out as he moved swiftly onto the opponent.

Said opponent sliced the ladle in half with a carbon blade which flicked out of his leg.

"Fancy weapon you've got there," the chef commented, discarding the broken handle.

Brandy suppressed a grin. He had a good chance- a _very_ good chance in beating the pirate in front of him. That'll show the smiling creep he can hold off a fight on his own.

"You've got a name?" Brandy then asked, he might as well acquaint himself early to his ship's soon-to-be chef.

The man raised a brown eyebrow. "Bruno. Why?"

"Brandy One-Shot," the teal-haired 18-year-old said. "Nice to meet you, chef."

He received a slow nod. "...sure."

Abruptly, Brandy began to launch his next attack. The blade on his leg whistled as it cut through the air with ease, he danced around getting faster and faster, feeling a stream of confidence fuel him excitedly.

Then, the chef disappeared.

Brandy blinked in surprise, frozen with his leg still in the air ready for its next swing. Looking down, he saw the wooden floor had a very large zipper- large as in, it looked big enough to fit two peope inside.

He heard the grate of the fastener being lowered, but the zipper underneath him did not move.

Something hard hit him on the back of the neck.

Brandy stumbled forward holding a hand on the sore spot, green eyes widening as he saw Bruno step out on another zipper which mysteriously painted itself on the wall. It _definitely_ was not there ten seconds ago.

"Don't worry, my Chozo Chozo no Mi (_Storage Storage Fruit_) doesn't last forever," Bruno assured calmly. "Well, not that is matters after we finish destroying this ship."

"Hell as if you are!" Brandy retorted. "What kind of crazy person destroys his own ship?"

Bruno blinked in surprise. "_My_ ship?" he echoed dumbly.

"You're this ship's new chef," the Captain announced passively.

"...bloody Poseidon, you're just as stupid as her."

The word 'her' felt like ice. One moment he was (almost) ecstatic that his (future) chef was possibly referring to his (moronic) sister, unfortunately he realized one very _important_ fact.

"DID YOU JUST SAY I'M STUPID AS RUM?"

His sudden outburst made Bruno take a literal step back. "Wait, you actually know her?"

"I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR ARM OFF AND BEAT YOU WITH THE BLOODY STUMP!"

Feeling his eye twitch, Bruno tried to keep the situation calm. "Listen here kid, I didn't mean t-"

"THEN WHEN YOU GET TO HOSPITAL I'LL CALL MY BROTHER TO SECRETLY POISON YOU!"

"OKAY, THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR!"

"I'LL DIG YOUR BODY UP AFTER YOU GET BURIED AND SELL IT FOR A PINT OF BEER!"

"YOU LOOK TOO MUCH OF A SISSY TO HOLD _HALF_ A PINT!"

"SAYS THE GUY IN THE APRON!"

"SAYS THE GUY WEARING A SCARF ROUND HIS HIP!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"I'LL KILL YOU _FIRST_!"

Bruno raised a muscular arm and aimed a low but effective punch at Brandy's gut. The fuming teal-haired boy made a leap towards the ceiling, quickly using the newly-contacted surface to spring himself onto Bruno's broad back.

The brunette however, madly dived forward to dodge out of the way.

**"Monooki Meiro!"** _(Storage Room Maze)_ Bruno yelled as he staggered across the hallway.

Dozens of large zippers formed on everything in sight; on the doors, ceiling and walls. Brandy watched as the 25-year-old chef slipped into the closest one.

He had no idea which one Bruno was going to come out of.

Something slashed his arm, before Brandy could swing his leg to kick at the given direction, the same weapon made a bloody streak down his back.

Eyes swivelling madly at all the zippers, he stumbled against a clear wall.

"You piss me off ten times more than Tesler," he grumbled.

* * *

The dark-haired archaeologist sneezed whilst he was in the middle of teleporting out of the way of a long, dangerous whip. His smile threatened to falter, yet in spite of everything he managed to secure it in place, strange, he was not the type to catch colds easily.

Self proclaimed "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin began fingering at another button of her shirt, even with half her breasts already hanging out for the public eye to see.

"Is is hot in here or it is just you?" she asked not-so-innocently.

Tesler just had to marvel at the woman. She had the grand ability of thinking up a new pick-up line every ten seconds.

"Stand still honey so I can pick you up!" Kuruvin called out, spinning the whip over her head.

Scratch that. _Five_ seconds. She should just tell the world that she had a devil fruit which granted/cursed her to even perform this horror so casually. He would believe her, without a silver of doubt.

Besides that, Kuruvin was a capable person the battlefield. With Tesler's teleportation abilities severely limited after the fiasco at the market-ship, he had trouble getting close as the woman created a deadly mine-field around her with the whip's long range.

Not too far away, the flower-wearing doctor was not doing any better. It was rare she felt uncomfortable around people, but with her arm slowly being absorbed by the rolls of human fat, she began to panic.

"Mr. Smiles! Help!" she hollered, desperately using her superhuman strength to yank herself away.

Turgo, the man who watched the pretty girl being sucked into his stomach just smiled contently. "New pet, new pet, new pet," he sung to himself.

"Little busy, Miss Sunshine," Tesler shouted back, even with how the situation was standing he was grinning like a maniac. "Hold it together."

"My arm isn't going to hold together!"

"Fetch our lovely navigator then!"

There was an impromptu firework of rubble which blasted near the quarterdeck. Anne was spotted flying down a wooden staircase and just before she landed on the bottom step she was sent flying again back the other way. A huge man wearing a bandanna and a captain's coat ran at such a speed that he was only a blur before kicking Anne to a given direction.

Anne went flying. Again.

Nodding thoughtfully, Tesler made a light jump as Kuruvin attempted to knock him off his feet with the whip.

"So... where's Mr. Waltz?"

* * *

The silver-haired swordsman did not look very convinced.

"...you're really my comrades?" he asked for the third time.

The gang of brutally beaten up pirates nodded their head furiously. "Yes!" they chorused.

Wake rubbed the back of his neck, a long curtain of hair brushed over his eye. "I really... don't remember you guys."

A big blond man who was nursing a bleeding nose chuckled uneasily. "Y-You're pretty forgetful you know, it's pretty normal!"

An even bigger male with a broken arm bobbed his head in agreement. "You e-even forget your name one time, Waltz!"

Wake looked thoughtful- though he was quickly distracted by the sight of his weapons which was propped against his door. The huge titantic blade Enigma and his bandaged mysterious katana. "Hmm... those look familiar." He hovered towards the swords.

The pirates jumped to their feet at once and crowded round the samurai.

"What if you forget how to do something and stab your foot?"

"You should take it easy, Waltz!"

"No need to go swingin' that dangerous thing around!"

"Yeah! And accidentally hit us... eh heh."

Wale studied his 'comrades.' "Sure... if you say so."

Sighs of relief was shared all around.

"But that... looks even more familiar.."

One of the poor men was about to go into a cardiac rest until they saw that the Sleeping Curse was merely trying on a wide-rimmed black hat. He did not strike a pose or tilt his hat for a certain style, the man seemed most comfortable just flopping it over his matted hair.

A pirate with a bruised eye gave a thumbs up. "Suits you well, Waltz!"

"Matches your-er- eyes."

"I second dat."

"Get your own comment, Nas."

"Aw, come on!"

Wake wordlessly took it off as the men began to natter amongst themselves, he heard something crinkly as he wore the iteml and wanted to see what it was. He saw a piece of paper sewn onto the inner-crown. It contained a legible message.

_Wake._

_If you're reading this, then it means you've forgotten something or going to sometime soon. Doesn't matter, because either way, this hat'll find you (or the other way round) since you have this unhealthy obsession for this dirty thing._

_Anyway, here are some reminders of who you are. Your name is "Sleeping Curse" Wake Waltz, you are a pirate with a 34,000,000 beri bounty on your head. So stay away from the Marines._

_Right now, you're working for me- Brandy One-Shot and said you will help me find my sister Rum who is heading to the New World. After reading this, go look for me or your comrades, IMPORTANT: __trust no one but your comrades, not even if the strangers seem nice, because you are a gullible idiot._

_Go look out for:_

_- a tall girl with is looking happy and girly, has a flower in her hair, wears bright clothes, oh and she can punch through walls and shit_

_-blond lady with scars all over her fingers, she can make her blood move and cut shit up_

_-a guy with a pedo-grin who can teleport, he has one really crap arm after he went through some shit_

_As for me, I'm the guy with two fake legs, teal hair pulled back away from my face and er... I'm the guy who always seems to look like shit. _

_Good luck in remembering everything else, you retard._

_Brandy._

"Waltzer, what's wrong?" the man with the broken arm asked, he went as far as slinging the other one round the swordsman's neck. "What's in the hat?"

Without an answer, Wake placed the hat back on his head. He observed every pirate in the room with watchful grey eyes.

Completely forgetting the fact _he_ was the one who broke the bigger man's arm, he mistook the stranger for Tesler. There was a skinny young man dressed in a dirty yellow shirt, he had a pair of knuckle dusters so he _might_ be able to break through a wall, could possibly be a female, it was not like Wake was an expert at that department. The blond man with the broken nose may be a blonde woman, and there was a frowning middle-aged person witha hat over his head, he could have teal hair. He had one peg leg which should do.

So, perhaps those people were telling the truth. Wake was with them.

There was one last thing he needed to do to confirm everything.

"Hey Waltz, wassup?"

"Oh my gosh, you killed Kenny!"

"Dude, what was that for?"

"W-Wait! We're your friends! R-Remember?"

"AIEEH! PLEASE LET ME LIVE!

After he beaten the living snot out of all of them without breaking a sweat, Wake was satisfyingly assured that these gentlemen were not who they say they were. After all, anyone who dare consider entering the New World had to be strong, he was positive that if this Brandy was smart enough to write him a note inside his hat, then Brandy would also be smart enough to know the dangers of the New World.

Hell yeah, Wake Waltz was intelligent.

Another object had caught his attention- it was a large zipper which formed from the top to the bottom of the wall. It certainly was not there five seconds ago. Curiously, he reached for the fastener and slowly tugged it down, an inch at a time.

* * *

Unlike Tesler, the chef did not move as silently and efficiently. The zipping sound did not help at all however Bruno still held the upper hand as the hallway was at the moment, his game with his rules.

Brandy was clearly scraped up, his major wounds being the deep gashes on his back. Bruno was wearing injuries too, showing off his few mistakes or trip-ups he made when trying his next sneak-attack.

Green eyes darting around the zippers, Brandy kept his posture relaxed and ready.

An unexpectedly sluggish pull of a zipper caught his attention. Was it a bait? The tab was moving too slow- which did not really change the fact that there was a person standing behind it.

Brandy readied his prosthetic leg made of fine, armoured metal and launched his attack.

"TAKE THAT!" he yelled, triumphant that his flying kick made a perfect landing.

Confusion swelled inside him when Bruno made a large cut on his shoulder, the brunette had been lurking from a zipper on the ceiling, so who was the man underneath Brandy's foot?

He heard the victim land on the floor with a heavy thud.

"Er, Wake? Is that you?" Brandy said unsurely.

He did not get a reply.

Bruno went ahead and decided to attack again, except this time Brandy managed to catch the tanned arm holding the kitchen knife.

"Since you're happily kicking my ass with your devil fruit, I'll do the same to you with mine," he snapped.

* * *

No. This couldn't have happened.

Redcliffe looked in numbing disbelief at the carnage swimming at his shoes. One by one, all his comrades hurried to the commotion and ended up lying on the floor as blood gurgled out of them.

In his shaky arms was his dead First Mate, a gentle giant of a man who only joined the world of pirates for its freedom. Not for _that demon_.

_That demon_ was grinning like a child at Christmas, he looked almost cute and innocent. Then there was the blood which dotted on his snowy hair, his black waistcoat, his black and white striped shirt, his boots, his medical eye patch, his rosy cheeks.

"Not bad at all, Mr. Redcliffe," he chirped. "You saved 10 out of 40 lives. Oh, but your First Mate was such a loss, I should deduct a good fifty more points for failing." He tapped his crimson-stained knife thoughtfully against his neck.

If looks could kill, Redcliffe would have murdered "Clockwork" Tock over an infinity. He closed his First Mate's glassy eyes and got up from the floor, hearing the sickly red fluid drip off his suit trousers.

Speaking in the calmest voice he could manage, he asked, "_Why_?"

The Warlord's creepy smile curled. "Why?" he echoed. "Sorry sir, if you finish the question then I might be able to answer it the best I can."

"_Why the fuck did you have to murder them all?_" the blue-haired pirate screamed. "What was the point of massacring my comrades?"

Clock nodded his head, pretending to stroke his imaginary beard. "I see sir, I see it now. If you want me to give an honest answer... I just thought that these men of yours were tying you down."

Before Recliffe could argue back, the yellow-eyed boy kicked a mutilated corpse playfully, as if it was a football.

"You see Mr. Recliffe, despite your level of skill, reports show you have done very meagre work to make sure your crew isn't exposed to too much danger. I suppose I should say that it is very kind of you to do so, but really, what's the fun in living an easy life?" Tock went on, getting more excited. "You have only one life Mr. Redcliffe, you might as well do as much as you can with it. How can you feel the thrill of battle if all you're doing is pick at ants? Even though you've only showed the world half your strength, the Marines can just smell the potential. So take the chance, sir, let me unchain you from your manacles of weakness and allow you to join the real fun side of the world As a Shichibuaki."

He held out a hand, despite being far more than an arm's length away.

Redcliffe's face was expressionless. His bleached blue hair wavered slightly in the wind, almost touching his hollow black eyes.

"...you killed them because they were holding me back, that's what you're trying to say?" he inquired softly.

In response, Tock nodded eagerly. "That's spot on, sir!"

Lightning sparked in the older man's limp fingers.

"I don't know what kind of crap you went through kid, but that's some messed up shit," he muttered, bunching his fists together. "I'LL JUST HAVE TO BEAT THAT SHIT OUT OF YOUR SICK MIND, YOU CRAZY SON-OF-A-BITCH!"

His hands were glowing a glaring white, making a buzzing noise which was close to resembling the screams of a mass crowd.

**"Inabikari!"** (_Lightning Flash_)

A flash of white and blue shot out of his palm, it flew so quickly that sound only followed seconds after it advanced. The beaming flash turned into a streaking, electric arrow which aimed right at Tock.

The once grinning child was substituted by a roaring explosion. Rubble went flying in all directions followed by a faint shower of blood which yet dried on the ground.

Redcliffe squinted at the clearing smoke of dust, he was unsure what he was going to see after the attack. Yes, it had never failed to hit a target so far, on the other hand, he had grown extremely weary of the Warlord.

There was sobbing.

To the pirate captain's surprise, he saw the darkly-clad youth kneeling against the ground, his matchstick body trembling and a feeble hand clutching the side of his black waistcoat. Blood seeped out from underneath.

"Ow..." he whined, rocking back and forth on the floor.

That was his chance. Redcliffe held out his hands for the second time, ready for a second shot of Inabikari- until hesitation swept in like a curse. The insane monster with wide, crazy yellow eyes and a malicious grin melted into a quivering 13-year-old crying helplessly.

_This is not a child. This is not a child. This is not a child._

Redcliffe's onyx eyes flitted towards his dead or dying friends - brothers - family.

_This is not a child. This is not a child. This is not a child._

He hated that part in him, the part which made everything so damn slow.

"Gotcha, sir."

Visibly startled, Redcliffe stumbled back as he saw Tock standing right in front of him, the menacing mask back on his face. His knife- beloved Lop-chan- was already held up at an angle, ready to swing down and cleave meat.

"_Game over_."

* * *

Frankly the idea had came to him some time ago nevertheless, timing was of an issue which disallowed Tesler from trying the plan earlier. He mused if Anne was spared the chance to even think of a strategy, the poor woman was being beaten senseless so he did not blame her if she had nothing.

The doctor was automatically out of question for various reasons.

Just when Kuruvin pulled her arm back to lash out her whip again, the Captain with the bandanna was getting ready to kick Anne in mid-air.

Tesler teleported.

A few seconds later, Kuruvin's 'playmate' was replaced by Seth, Turgo's 'pet' was replaced by Anne and the Captain's person football took the new form of Tesler.

"Much better, I suppose," Tesler sang.

The Captain made sure to wipe off the confused look on his face within the very moment it came and summoned his imposing aura.

"Better? Don't get so cocky now y-" it was the Captain's turn to be sent flying.

A strained, chortling laughter filled the air. "Reaper Smile" Tesler spun the ninjato in his hand light-heartedly. "Sorry, I just love playing easy games."

As that was happening, Anne was staring at the abomination of of a human in front of her. She was still overbearingly dizzy and bruised from what her fight with a man with superhuman speed.

In front of her was a grossly overweight man with his arms the size of cannons, his meaty fingers thicker than Anne's neck, his ungodly stomach squelched down in rolls and rolls of fat, giving off a putrid odour.

"Who're you?" Turgo demanded. "Where's the other girl? She's meant to be my pet!"

What in the name of Dark Matter did Tesler expect her to do with _that_?

Hide it, probably.

Seth- holding the end of the whip with a loose hand- was debating if the pretty woman in front of her was trying to play tug-of-war or was doing some comical form of stretches whilst her hands were gripping onto the handle.

After finally choosing it was the tug-of-war option, she tugged back. With her balled fist waiting at the end.

* * *

**"Concussion Wave: Gentle!"**

**"Doki Doki no Amimono!"** (_Bloody Web)_

**"Kuroboshi!"** (_Black Spot)_

* * *

The Great Flash crew were forced to admit defeat after finding Kuruvin was punched so hard she landed a mile off the ship, Turgo was trapped inside a cocoon of sticky red thread, and their captain had a gaping hole on his side.

"And there's Mr. One-Shot who so kindly found us our new chef," Tesler said, nodding to himself.

"And died in the process," Anne added.

Brandy and Bruno both exhausted themselves until the point theyy lost conciousness, the winner of their fight came down to no one. Standing over them were the other members of Brandy's rag-tag family, including Wake who woke up some time ago.

"Pity Mr. Waltzer you couldn't join in," the navigator muttered, touching her bruised cheek. "We could all have used the help."

Wake shrugged his shoulders. "...sleepy."

"What should I tell the people outside?" Seth abruptly asked. She was referring to the Great Flash pirates who were nervously waiting on their ship, too stiff with fear to dare make an escape.

Anne heaved a sigh. "Who knows? We should just let them go..."

"But most of them know that there is a pirate on board with us," Tesler finished. "This is an unfortunate predicament according to our 'Captain.' So, hands up for sinking their ship and letting them drown?"

"Keep that up and it'll seem like we've got _two_ pirates," the blond woman growled. "Have some humanity at least, will you?"

"All I'm saying is that-"

Anne could not remember the rest of the sentence, it drifted away like a lone cloud in the sky. She woke up lying on her side, finding the hallway empty with the exception of a certain brightly-clothed doctor who was slumped against the wall. It was as if they all just fell asleep in a heartbeat and something had happened afterwards.

The two of them walked onto the deck to see if the others were outside.

There was no one.

At times; people would find silence suffocating, where it drowned ones ears into an explainable, empty noise.

Anne decided, as she rolled out one of her maps, that the current situation was a good example.

"There's no one here on either ship!" Seth reported, hopping back from the Great Flash ship after a long tour. "Do you think they've all jumped over-board?"

The blond navigator shook her head. "No, we've only been asleep for a few minutes and the water's barely rippling," she answered.

"So, is it just us now, Map?"

"It's Anne. Plus, we aren't alone, the dear lady who really needs a bigger set of clothes is still floating on the water," she said, jerking a scarred thumb over her shoulder. "Remind me in ninety seconds to go fetch her, Doctor."

The 18-year-old bobbed her head, tangled sandy hair dancing with her. "Now what? Do we go looking for Captain Urchin and the others?"

"Yes, we're going to do just that," Anne declared. She traced the sketchmarks which lead to _Honeymoon Island_. "Via special investigation."

"Ooh, it's like when Mr. Smiles kidnapped Captain all over again!" Seth exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Yes, it's just that." There was a pause. "...this better not be a regular occurrence."

The young doctor laughed heartily. "Eh, well I kinda like playing knight in shining armour. It's so much fun!"

"What a fairy-tale that'll be; part-time knight in shining armour doctor raging through the Blues to rescue the fair damsels in distress- namely, a retarded samurai, a one-armed archaeologist and a teal-haired boy with a potty mouth."

Seth's dark eyes widened by a fraction, sparkles and rainbows practically radiating off their light.

"Map, I want to hear more of that story!" she insisted, sounding like a spoilt child wanting an early present. "Pretty ple-ease?"

Inwardly, Anne wanted to bang her head against the table. She should be travelling round the world finishing her prized maps, drinking a nice summery cocktail whenever she has time to rest on a beach, but _no_, she was in the middle of juggling duties as a detective, a navigator, a fighter, a rescuer and a babysitter.

"Before we go Map, should we save that lady drowning over there? I think the ninety seconds are up."

"Yes, we'll do that."

The people were sort of okay though.

* * *

This time, Tock was caught by surprise. He stared at his tattered sleeve in innocent fascination, noticing how smoke was trailing off his skin.

"Oh wow, Mr. Redcliffe, now _that_ can earn you some bonus points," he said in a delighted tone. "Congratulatterals. Oh wait- that wasn't right..."

Redcliffe brought down his electric shield; a thin blue panel, it looked as fragile as paper but was actually incredibly strong. At least strong enough to force the crazy child back a few steps.

"Are you here to kill me or to recruit me?" he asked.

At first, there was nothing.

Tock screeched with laughter at the question, the sound reminded Redcliffe of nails scratching against glass, absolutely cringe-worthy and agonising. "_KE HA HA HA HA HA!_ The timing was just utterly brilliant, Mr. Redcliffe!_ KAHA HA HA HA!"_ He wiped tears from the corner of his eye.

He pulled out the impossibly large pocket watch from his tiny pocket.

"Gosh, look at the time Mr. Redcliffe!" Tock gave a mock-gasp. "We should finish off soon if you want to save your crew, right sir?"

Redcliffe knew time was working against them, everyone- including him- needed medical help, and an undertaker. He wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah, that's right."

Their first fight just ten minutes ago was all just a chain of appalling acts, Redcliffe went for long-distance combat as Tock was only armed with a single knife, but that did not stop the boy from chopping up any passing bystanders in the middle of the 'game.'

Now, Redcliffe was ready to get up close and personal. Into the danger zone.

**"Shu Rai!"** (_Lightning Strike_)

The clouds above them darkened and sent out streaks of white light onto the surface. Tock laughed madly as he stumbled out of the way of each strike, almost as if he had done it all before.

Redcliffe took his charge and ran towards the child with determination clinging to his sweaty skin.

**"Raishishi!"** (_Thunder Lion_)

His fist was shrouded by a lion head formed out of bright sparks of white and blue, it grew bigger in his hand until thunder roared from the lion's mouth. It cackled like revenge and rage.

Tock started to speed up, his knife looking no less deadly even in comparison with the great, exploding lion.

**"Bo Taoshi!"** The knife was singing a funeral song.

The two attacks clashed.

As if a pair of hurricanes collided with each other, the wind recoiled from the contact with such a monstrous force that the water began rolling turbulent waves, whilst the sky brightened as thunder leapt back into the heavens.

The greatest surprise was what was standing directly between the two attacks and _still_ standing.

A stranger, holding one unusually long and thin blade against Redcliffe's palm and a normal-sized katana with a green hilt drawn against Tock's knife.

"Oh?" Tock addressed the stranger with a tilt of his head. "Madam Silent? What brings you here to this not-so-humble abode?"

Redcliffe only just registered that the swordsman was in fact- a woman. She was of an average height, sporting impeccably neat silver hair which scraped at the shoulder of her ebony black suit. Most notable were her milky white, heavy-lidded eyes which was half hidden behind a pair of sharp glasses. If it was not for the weapons, Redcliffe thought she could have passed for a businesswoman.

She sheathed the two blades back onto her belt.

White eyes greeted black.

""Lightning" Chance Redcliffe," she said cooly. "You are here under orders of the World Government to present yourself to the Marines as the next Shichibukai."

Redcliffe said nothing at first.

"As there are no other candidates left, failure is not an option," she prompted.

Behind them, Tock pouted as a childish joke. "Madam! I was playing!"

The woman did not as much turn her head. "Orders are orders."

"And if I refuse?" Redcliffe inquired blandly.

"I think you already know the answer to that," Tock answered instead, gesturing with the flap of a sleeve to the remaining alive members of the Lightning pirates. "And take some friendly warning: Madam Silent is less patient than me."

Redcliffe managed to figure out exactly who 'Madam Silent' really was. It was glaringly obvious.

Miro "Silent" Silverlock. Shichibukai.

Even if it was only one of them, Redcliffe would have suffered major problems in maintaining the battle and protecting his friends. Add two then the result was just unthinkable.

He lost.

Game over.

* * *

**I've decided to put random quotes from the previous chapters to every new chapter to refresh everyone's memories. **

**This chapter I know isn't up to my usual, I'm terribly rusty at the moment.**

**I hope the next chapter will be a lot better, i****t'll be a complete mixture of Brandy's crew, new friends, new enemies and Shichibukai doing their business.**

**MORE WAKE WALTZ AND HIS BELOVED HAT NEXT CHAPTER! PROMISE! **

**LOVE YOU AKIRA!**

**Speaking of whom, the lovely person did me another fanart :D I have links to all of them on my profile! Check 'em out!**

**Here's an unofficial preview of the next chapter:**

"Did you just say "Royal Coat" Himitsu?"  
_Anne_

"WHY IS THERE A _BEAR_ HERE?"  
_Brandy_

"She had the same hair and eyes as you, One-Shot."  
_?_

"We've got no other choice but team up with the Marines."  
_Tesler_

"B-Brandy! You can't leave your own brother behind!"  
_?_

**See you again next chapter! (hopefully)**

* * *

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus_ Bruno von Zeppeli_**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon **  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Rose  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Lightning Pirates- Captain Zarem Astaro "the Untouchable Lightning", "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin (first mate), "Abominatin" Turgo Asator  
**-**Royal Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron, Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) **  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator- _"Lightning" Chance Redcliffe


	13. Pursuit XI: Calm Shipwright

**ALCOHOL**

Pursuit XI: Calm Shipwright

* * *

_Previously ALCOHOL..._

Anne and Seth (and Kuruvin) find themselves alone on Titanic, the rest of the crew having disappeared from sight. Meanwhilst Chance Redcliffe has been blackmailed into becoming a Shichibukai, he is currently being escorted back to Marines HQ by Tock and Silverlock. Fellow shichibukai Rafael is still in the midst of the Pinocchio investigation.

* * *

_"This meeting has been called for two reasons. Number one; to inform World Government leaders, the Admirals, and the Seven Warlords of the sea of our continuously troubling enemy- "Royal Coat" Himitsu, who has been mainly suspected to be Orotooni's killer."_

* * *

Something tastes sickeningly sweet. That was the first thought which crossed Brandy's mind as he sloowly regained conciousness. If he remembered correctly, he was kicking his chef's ass... yeah, that was it, that was all he could recall.

A familiar person groaned near his face.

"HOLY POSEIDON, HOW DID YOU GET INTO MY ROOM?"

A random stranger sitting behind him shouted out "_Shut up_!"

Some embarrassing minutes later; Brandy realized he was not in his room at all. He was in a large dome-shaped hall in a sugary-yellow colour, surrounding him were masses of men, ordinary and pirates alike. Instead of a variety of different pirate odours mingling together, he just smelt the sweet sweet honey.

"Oh, we were wondering when you'd get up," Tesler chipped in lightly, sitting not far away accompanied by Wake. "The chef is in the middle of coming around too."

Just as he said it, Bruno let out a groan and lifted himself off the floor. "Wh-Where am I?"

"Who knows," Tesler answered helpfully. "One moment I was in the ship, next moment I was lying on my backside in a strange place which smells like honey. Isn't that right, Wake-senpai?"

Wake completely ignored the dark-haired archaeologist, he was too busy running his hands through his dirty silver hair. "Hat..." he mumbled, feeling at the empty space on the top of his head.

Tesler nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh yes, thank-you for reminding me, we woke up stripped of our weapons, haven't we?" he added.

"The hat is now a _weapon_?" Brandy deadpanned.

Meanwhilst, Bruno had just got his bearings and was looking completely bewildered. "Are you saying we were kidnapped? All of us?"

Tesler inclined his head. "Mannaped would be the most accurate term. Since there isn't a single child or woman in this room with us," he replied.

The teal-haired teenager blinked in surprise. On the other hand, it did strike him strange that Seth was not attracting attention as usual, and their navigator was nowhere in sight either. Were they in a separate room? Or perhaps they weren't picked for some bizarre reason?

He began searching the hall with narrowed green eyes, trying to pick out a face he might know. Instead, they found an horde of men trying to barge down the door and two different groups causing a commotion nearby, their arguing was on the brink of provoking ruthless violence.

"The Marines actually got captured too?" Brandy said incredulously.

Tesler rested his head in his hands. "Yes, which isn't a good thing for anyone. There are a few pirates crews around here."

Coughing into his fist, Bruno tried to cut into the conversation. "Have any of you seen _my_ crew?" he inquired in an oddly polite tone.

"You know, our Devil Fruit powers aren't working either," Tesler carried on, pretending he hadn't heard the brunette.

"Would you-"

"They're _what_?" Brandy created the exact mirror copy of Wake's horrified expression. "How are they not working? Is there sea-stone around here or something?"

"If you just li-"

"I do have a theory, but it is a very baseless one," Tesler explained. "I have a feeling it is to do with the honey we're tasting on our tongues."

"For fu-"

"How does honey beat devil fruit?" the teal-haired teenager asked, completely unimpressed.

Tesler began musing. "Well..."

"THE HONEY IS PRESERVING OUR DEVIL FRUIT! IS THAT ENOUGH FOR YOU BASTARDS?" Bruno thundered.

Nearly everyone in the hall was staring at the chef's general direction, even the Marines and pirates who were in the middle of grabbing collars and bunching fists paused.

Bruno coughed again and tried not to sink lower from where he was sitting.

Fortunately, his shout attracted an acquainted crew who were huddled round their Captain who still had not regained consciousness.

"Zeppeli!" one of the Great Flash pirates beckoned, waving his hand in an arc.

Before Bruno even raised a leg, Brandy and Tesler each grabbed hold of a shoulder and pushed him back onto the floor.

Green eyes glared at him in challenge. "As if we're letting you go that easily," Brandy snarled.

Bruno glared back. "Get your hands off or I'll-"

"Do what? Fight me?" the 18-year-old simpered. "Face it, when it's a no-go with Devil Fruit then I can totally beat the living crap out of you."

Out of the blue, Wake grabbed Brandy's ankle and lifted it up with a blank face.

Brandy narrowed his eyes and resisted the urge to kick the swordsman. "Wake. What the hell are you doing?"

"...lighter," he mumbled.

"_What_?"

The Sleeping Curse lowered the ankle slowly, practically gently. "Your leg..." he clarified. "It sounded lighter... it feels lighter too."

Another wave of dread and dismay swept onto Brandy like a tidal wave. "Wait, don't tell me..." he felt for the different compartments underneath the layer of clothing, everything from the carbon blade on his knee to the projectile-shooter on the sole of his foot was empty. "FUCK! They tore all the weapons out!"

During the time Brandy began screaming curses, Bruno just grinned devilishly. "Ha, guess now beating the living crap out of even a dog's going to be difficult," he leered. "Don't worry, unlike you I don't brag."

A visible vein throbbed on the 18-year-old temple. He rose from the floor and abruptly aimed a cheating kick at the side of the muscular pirate's skull. "WELL THANK THE GOD OF SEA THAT BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF YOU IS EASIER THAN A DOG!"

Bruno quickly recovered and staggered onto his feet as well. "WHAT DID YOU SAY ASSHOLE? YOU WANT ME TO BLANCH YOU?"

He dug his fist into Brandy's gut, making the boy almost spit out his breakfast. After the tealhead eased the pain in his stomach, he fixed a burning evil eye onto Bruno.

Wake was about to get up to intervene in the fight but the archaeologist took hold of his sleeve.

"Is... IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN COME UP WITH?" Brandy retaliated. "I'LL HIT YOUR FACE SO HARD NOT EVEN MY BROTHER WILL HAVE YOU!"

"WHY DO YOU ALL OF YOUR THREATS HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR BROTHER?"

"WHY DO YOU LOOK SO FREAKED ABOUT IT? YOU HOMOPHOBIC!"

"I'M NOT HOMOPHOBIC! I JUST THINK YOU TREAT YOUR BROTHER LIKE SHIT!"

"THAT'S RIGHT! TREAT ME WITH MORE RESPECT, DAMN IT!"

Another long, awkward silence.

Brandy and Bruno had craned their necks to the third person which slipped into their argument.

Green eyes, teal hair pulled away from the face, a sash tied round his hip and black slippers. A One-Shot.

* * *

The moment Anne saw the faint outline of Honeymoon Island she instantly began musing if she would actually be able to meet Rum One-Shot somewhere. The girl- according to Brandy-kun- was 90 percent pure idiocy and 10 percent of mass destruction.

"So, why we're coming here anyway? Shouldn't we find Captain first?" Seth asked, checking on the unconscious Kuruvin they dragged out of the ocean.

Anne moved the steering wheel. "Yes, that is a good idea. But with no leads, I think it'll be best if we check with the locals and see their thoughts on it. The waters here all have their own myths and legends which might actually be helpful."

The doctor clapped her hands. "Wow! You're like, such a smart map!"

"It's Anne."

"But don't you need to be a couple to get inside?"

"Right again, we'll be posing as one so don't worry."

Seth looked excited. "Oh, is one of us going to dress up like a guy? I always wanted to do that!" she said gleefully, and jumped up from the wooden floorboards. "Can I have a mustache as well?"

"None of us need to dress up," the blond woman stated. She then gently placed a scarred hand on Seth's shoulder. "Since we'll be posing as a lesbian couple."

* * *

Despite the similarities, the two brothers still have strikingly opposite features.

The older One-Shot wore his hair much neater like a businessman, he was dressed in an expensive black suit which clashed horridly with his neon-blue sash. It was comical how much of a refined gentleman he looked compared to the large, burly pirates scuffling around him.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to him?" Tesler asked with a sly smile.

Sighing, Brandy waved a hand to his sibling's general direction. "This... is _Vermouth_," he said sourly.

The One-Shot glared. "Is that the kind of respect you should be showing to your older brother, Brandy?"

Brandy scowled. "Shut up you sissy."

The archeologist tried to suppress a chuckle. "Lovely family."

"Allow me to re-introduce myself," Vermouth insisted, coughing into his fist. "I am Vermouth One-Shot, heir to the family and current head of the East Blue Trading Company. Pleased to make your acquitance."

Tesler curtly nodded as acknowledgement, a lock of coal-black hair falling over his face. "John Tesler, ex-archaeologist."

Sitting next to him, Wake dipped his head in a slight bow. "I'm..."

"Please don't tell me you've forgot already," Brandy groaned, slapping his hand over his forehead.

Wake conteplated deeply. "Wake... Wake Waltz... I'm a chef."

"Like hell you are!"

As another rowdy argument ensued, Bruno was edging out of the group, hoping he would be able to make an escape back to his crew whilst fighting the urge to land another sneaky attack on the teal-haired brat.

Then he felt something yank at his arm.

"Oh yeah, and Vermouth, meet the chef- whatever your name is," Brandy said, pulling the brunette towards his brother. "Haven't tried his cooking yet but I bet it'll be better than the Dark Matter that retarded samurai makes."

Bruno's eye twitched. "I'm _not_ your bloody chef!"

Vermouth opened his mouth to say something in response, but something else caught his attention. It made his skin pale into a light shade of grey and scramble to get behind Brandy, changing character instantly.

"H-Hide me!"

The bemused 18-year-old scanned the hall. "Who's here?"

"Just be quiet for a moment," Vermouth hissed, peering from behind his meat shield. His tensed shoulders soon loosened up and he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness... I thought that was the pirate who wrecked my Titania."

Brandy took a few steps away. "Really? Who's the pirate? I should go thank him."

"He's _dangerous_! What kind of monster can defeat 100 armed professionals uninjured the slightest?" Vermouth hissed. "I had to detour from my trade route to get something done with my half-dead employees, but suddenly I found myself _here_."

"Vermouth. I don't actually care how or why you're here."

"Brandy! That clearly is-"

All the lights in the hall had shut off. It was promptly followed by a spotlight which focused itself onto a balcony built high on one of the yellow walls. The smell of honey began overpoweringly fill the air as two figures stepped into the light.

At each echoing footstep, every man tensed with concentrated anxiety and curiosity. They wanted to know who was the person who had the power to bring so many able men into one room without the need to even put up a fight. When the strangers left the curtain of shadow, a blast of shock slapped every single individual in the face.

Side by side was one adult male and one young girl. They had large black _antennas_ sticking out of their equally black hair, black sleeves and trouser legs covering their limbs, a pair of translucent insect _wings_ on their backs, and dressed in ridiculous _yellow and black fuzzy clothes_.

The adult male cleared his throat and boomed out in a blaring, confident voice, "Presenting Queen Mitsu the Ninth-zuzu! Ruler of the Hachiningen-zuzu! Child of the Honey Goddess-zuzu! Wing of the East Blue-zuzu! Bow down to your Mistress, men-zuzu!"

No one moved an inch.

Then one person voiced the thought of every man in the room.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

* * *

Getting in the island was fairly easy. Enduring the place with sanity still intact may come off a little harder. There was not a single thing on the island which did not scream lovey-dovey romance. All the public benches had heart shaped frames, each street had soft piano music playing in the background, nearly all the merchandise had to be bought in pairs, and-

"Doctor, whatever you do, you are not allowed to enter this room," Anne warned, standing in front of their door.

Seth made the face of a child who was not allowed dessert after dinner. "But Map! I'm tired!"

"I'm going to have to ask the staff here to redecorate," Anne muttered. "For the sake of your innocence, I'll have to recommend that you do not set foot past this door. Why don't you go get something to eat?"

Pouting, Seth trudged back towards the elevator. Sometimes Map was a pretty boring, at least Captain Urchin always had something funny to say, and Seppuku-dono was always doing something interesting. She left the hotel and went to search for a restaurant or a street vendor, after buying a cream apple turnover she visited the beach to munch in peace.

The turnover was nice, but everything was still boring.

"Maybe I should've brought along a medical book," she said out loud to herself. Self-study was never a waste of time- quote her father.

The tide gently lapped onto the smooth beach, leaving behind a glossy mirror behind which reflected the warm orange-pink setting sun.

As she finished her pastry, Seth contemplated if searching for Brandy's sister could help pass the time. She licked her fingers and nodded to herself, it was the least she could do whilst Anne does her smart magic.

She abruptly shot up from the floor and managed to whack someone on the chin, making the poor victim fall on his back.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Seth wailed, hovering about the stranger. "I totally didn't mean that! Ah, I usually only hurt Captain Urchin and not the others, oh whoa, that's quite a bruise, I'm so sorry!"

The stranger sat up slowly. "I-It's fine, Miss," he said shakily, nursing his chin.

"Here, let me help you up!"

She almost threw him into the ocean.

"Th-Thank-you Miss," the stranger mumbled. "I... better get going."

To his (mis)fortune, Seth was not finished. "At least let me buy something for you to make up for it! How about an apple turnover? They sell some really nice ones here!"

"Oh no, I should really-"

"Come on! This way!" The moment she grasped hold of his arm, the stranger knew he was going to be dragged along as if he was rag doll. And it hurt. Both physically and mentally.

Five minutes later, the two were sitting back on the beach munching on a cream apple turnover in peace, watching the tide gently lapped onto the smooth beach, leaving behind a glossy mirror behind which reflected the warm orange-pink setting sun.

Seth grinned at her new friend. "Tastes good, right?"

He offered a bob of the head. "Yes... a bit sweet but quite nice."

"I'm Seth by the way!" the sandy-haired girl chirped, sticking out a hand. "What's your name?"

The stranger shyly held her fingers with a forefinger and thumb, shaking it lightly. "Nine."

In fact, the 19-year-old gave off rolling vibes of shyness. Every inch of his body was wrapped in thick clothes despite the warm evening, even his scrawny neck had a scarf wound round it, his curly red hair needed a good brush and cut as it nearly touched his shoulders and covered a good portion of his face, his curtained bright green eyes seemed to always shift around nervously.

Seth beamed in satisfaction. "So Nine-chan!" she sang. "How you're enjoying this place? I just got here half an hour ago."

"Pleasant enough," Nine replied, nibbling on the edge of the dessert. "I only really came for the sightseeing."

"I saw it on the leaflet, looked really pretty!" Seth said brightly. "I guess I'm like you, Map and I are not really here for the Island. We're actually looking for someone!" She paused. "Oh, but keep that a secret okay? I'm not meant to tell everyone about it."

Nine's thin lips curled into what was almost a smile, it was only for a second though.

He ate the last of his turnover before brushing off his fingers. "No worries, there aren't many people I have to tell."

"Yeah, I suppose it's just you and your partner," Seth guessed. "Thinking of it now, it'll pretty hard to search the entire island with just two people." Her onxy eyes met his green orbs. "Say, have you possibly seen a girl with teal hair? She wears a sash round her hip and has slippers!"

Nine gave the question some thinking.

"Sorry, no, I can't help you there," Nine sighed. "I have a bad memory."

The smile never left Seth's freckled face. She patted him on the back- which sent him flying onto the sand- and hopped up from her sitting position. "It's okay, it's a start anyway!" she assured him happily. "I better get going then, see ya Nine-chan! Hope to see you around again! Maybe with your partner!"

She left, oblivious that Nine was almost crying as he cleared sand out of his eyes and hair.

Sometime afterwards, a shadow smoothed over Nine's crouched back.

"What are you doing, Nine?" a deep, gruff voice inquired.

Nine gazed at the sunset apathetically, it may have given off a more stunning aura if it was not for the tangled red hair obstructing most of the view. "I met a girl searching for Rum."

"Oh?"

"Quite a cute girl," Nine commented. "Odd, but cute."

A thickly-built man adorned in scars sat down next to the 19-year-old. "I guess she's not a threat, since I don't see her body floating anywhere." His huge jet-black overcoat pooled round him on the sand, it was decorated with gold buttons and tassels, an elaborate red emblem sewn onto the back. A very royal looking coat.

Nine almost smiled again, it vanished in a second.

A troupe of pirates appeared behind the two.

"Captain Himitsu," one person spoke up. "I hate to bother you, but Rum One-Shot has fallen unconscious... and she's not getting up. Shall we finish for today?"

The great coat flapped in the wind as the scarred man rose. Nine trailed after him timidly.

"I guess we'll let the child have a break," the older man said cooly. He gave the redhead a nonchalant glance over his shoulder. "Nine, you should get some rest too. I'm planning to leave this island a little early."

* * *

The pirate who shouted out the profanity was picked up by two fuzzy-clothed soldiers and flown over to the exit. Possibly to be killed.

"Let's try that again-zuzu..." the man at the balcony grumbled. "Bow down to the Queen Mitsu of-"

"JUST GET ON WITH IT!"

Silence.

The girl spoke for the first time. "Minister-zuzu. Just skip the introductions-zuzu."

The man solemnly bowed. "Yes your Majesty-zuzu." He turned to face the mass crowd. "Gentlemen-zuzu! Be honoured-zuzu! You have all been chosen as candidates for the Imperial Harem-zuzu! Of course, all of you are to be sorted to see which one of you individuals truly deserve to be accepted-"

"SCREW THAT! LET ME GO HOME!"

"_Accepted_ by her Majesty-zuzu," the Minister said between gritted teeth. "Of course, then one of you would have the grand position of being her consort, and grant her Majesty a child-zuzu."

"OI! CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND ME-ZUZU? LET ME GO HOME!"

The Minister glared at one of the guards. "Find the insolent being who keeps interrupting and kick him out-zuzu!"

Brandy exchanged blank faces with his crew. "_This_ was not even the last thing I had in mind," he admitted flatly.

In a rare occasion did Tesler seem lost as Wake.

"Every one of you will be put through tests where you can prove yourself worthy-zuzu!" the Minister continued. "As you progress further, your weapons will be returned since the trials become tougher-zuzu."

Surprisingly, Bruno had called out in an even tone, "What if we don't want to join?"

Instead of being annoyed again, the Minister simply smirked. "I don't believe you have much of a choice in that-zuzu. Since the honey all of you absorbed not only is currently sealing your abilities, but contains a poison which will slowly kill you unless you obtain the antidote during the final stage."

Once again, this scene will end with profanities.

**"ASKGEORITUWFT!"**

**"WETRGSGJALJETWJTEIJ!"**

**"SDFWERTWGE!"**

* * *

Kuruvin woke up on _Titanic_. There was a note next to her.

_The door is locked but you have an en suite bathroom in use with a good sink where you can wash up._

_There's rations in the cupboard which'll last you a few days. Meds are under your bed if you need extra treatment for your bruise._

_We're trying to find our disappeared crew. And yours._

_Anne_

_and Seth! :)_

* * *

Anne sipped the last of her coffee. "So, from what I've gathered so far, the men on our ship were not the only ones who disappeared into thin air. Several male customers arriving or departing from the island would sometimes vanish as well..."

Sitting opposite her was Seth, eating a late dinner.

"Why only men? No girls ever gone?" she asked with her mouth full.

Anne shook her head, her blond ponytail swinging about like a tail. "No. Just the men."

"Hmm, what about outside of the island? We weren't very close to here at all."

A few newspaper articles were unfolded onto the table. "About that, very recently any ships nearby just emptied itself of its crew and Captain, they were around the same radius outside of the island as _Titantic_. Then there are the rumors of an Admiral's nephew missing too. Some suspect it was done by pirates but we can't be too sure."

A nearby young woman scowled as she walked past the table, clinging onto her lover's arm.

"Pirates," she growled distastefully. "That's all I'm hearing nowadays. Why can't they just forget about that smelly lot for a second?"

Anne raised her eyebrows. She said nothing until she was sure the woman was out of earshot. "Hmm, lots of stories about pirates on an island of newlyweds? Now that's a first."

"So, how are we going to get Captain Brandy back if the kidnapper only takes guys?" Seth queried. "It's not like we can bait them."

A strange smile lifted onto the navigator's face, it was very subtle but somehow closely resembled a certain person's cheshire grin. Blue eyes glinted in the soft lighting of the restaurant as she leaned her face forward.

She cupped a hand round her mouth. "Of course we can bait them," she whispered. "This island is filled with men, no?"

* * *

Head in his hands, Brandy began to groan.

"Why, why, _why_?" he griped. "Rum, this is all your damn fault..."

Wake next to him also had sunken his head onto his hands.

"Hat... gone..."

Vermouth was copying the same pose.

"My company..." he whined.

The brunette stared at them with his eye twitching. "All of you! Get a bloody grip!" he commanded. "You're acting like the poison's going to kill you _now_!"

Tesler nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, we do have a grand chance of getting this honey out of our system." He waved an arm at the men surrounding them. "Most of the gentlemen here don't exactly look they're going to cope well against whatever obstacles are ahead."

Opening his fingers, Brandy glanced round through the gap. "If this queen is that damn special then why the hell did she just collect a bunch of random men? Especially _pirates_. Girls don't marry pirates."

"Fetish?" Tesler suggested. "There are a lot of strange women around the Blues, dear Captain. Among them; your charming younger sister who has decided to challenge the seven Warlords of the Seas and become Pirate King."

Abruptly, Vermouth's head snapped up. "She _what_?"

Brandy glared at the archaeologist. "You idiot!"

"Brandy, is this true?" Vermouth demanded. "Sherry told me that Rum wanted to be a pirate, but to actually aim for Pirate _King_... how could you let this happen?"

The boy was fighting the temptation to kick his sibling in the face.

He took deep breaths...

Count down from ten...

More deep breaths...

Go to Happy Land...

_Calm._

"WHY DO YOU THINK I'VE SAILED ALL THIS WAY FROM MY BEAUTIFUL HOME YOU ASSHOLE?" he exploded. "I'M STUCK ON A GODFORSAKEN ISLAND WITH PIRATES, FREAKS AND YOU BECAUSE I'M HUNTING THAT STUPID MO-!"

Tesler elbowed him in the ribs.

"Calm now," he chided gently. "You'll burst a vein."

Meanwhilst, a frightened Vermouth was trying to compose himself. "Ahem. I see..." the merchant said quietly. "It's just that I read on the newspaper recently you've been causing trouble an-"

"None of it was my fault!" Brandy insisted.

"I'm just saying..."

Sighing, the teenager turned away. "Forget it. Why should I care what _you _think?" His eyes scrolled up to the irritated chef. "Hey, whatever you name-"

"Bruno."

"-yeah, when did you meet Rum?"

The tanned adult folded his muscular arms. "Our ships crossed by chance. The girl caught our Captain's interest after she almost killed his son. That's all there's to it." He then gave it some more thought. "Actually, she also..."

Heavy footsteps filled into the sentence.

Everyone paused to bring their attention to the half-circle of brawny individuals ganging round the small team. Each person had an ugly smile on their faces, fists bunched and ready to pounce into action. One of the closer men was recognizably Zarem Asataro.

"Mind moving out of the way, rookies?" he sneered.

Brandy was ready to bite back but Tesler held out a hand and flashed his overly-large grin. "Of course, sir. But there's nothing behind us but a stone wall, not sure if it'll exactly be interesting."

A round of sniggers lapped round the crowd.

Another man with tattoos adorning his skull curled his lip. "We're not looking at the wall, dumbass. We're looking at the pretty boy sitting in front of it."

All eyes slowly rolled their way to the silver-haired swordsman lost in another world. He did not even acknowledge all the gazes from the looming assembly in front of him.

"Wake?" Brandy raised his eyebrows.

The man bared his uneven teeth. "That's right, Wake Waltz. A right old big-shot on this side of the Blue with 34,000,000 beri sitting nicely on his head. We want him."

"For what? Because this guy is bloody useless."

"Just beat it runt, we're here to make an alliance with Waltz, not waste our breath with _you_," Asataro said icily.

It would have appeared that all the pirates in the room decided to team up with eachother, whether the loyalties would last by the first test was a different question. They all just wanted to build up power to eliminate the competition in the room.

Tesler suppressed a laugh. "Oh, isn't that unfortunate? Wake-senpai is already working for someone else." He slung his unbandaged arm around Brandy's neck. "Isn't that right, 'Captain?'"

Once again, Vermouth's face twisted in dismay. "You have a _pirate_ working for you? Brandy, if Uncle hears of this-"

"Would you stop be annoying for just _one_ bloody second?" his relative barked.

The man in the coat just shrugged his shoulders. "Oh? Well that's not going to be too much of a problem, right boys?" The surrounding crowd all began bearing toothy grins. "See, we all know the pirate way. Finders keepers. So..."

For a moment, Brandy tried to calculate how it would fair with four weaponless people against an army. (Vermouth was not included in the equation)

"KILL 'EM ALL!"

Whilst Bruno was trying to tell each advancing man that he was not part of the gang, the others began to fall into a sequence of attacks, blindly parrying strikes at all sides. One idiot decided to grab Wake's collar in his brooding session, the unfortunate soul was sent flying to the other side of the hall. Tesler was never a man who did well in unarmed combat, it did not help he only had one arm to use either.

As for Brandy, he was trying with great difficulty keeping all the bared fists and raised legs away from him and at the same time rip his brother off his waist.

"Vermouth! Get off me!" he growled.

The distressed merchant felt himself being torn off his bodyguard and practically thrown into the raging madness of violence. He quickly ducked as the tattooed man was propelled over his head. At the corner of his eye, he saw the teal-haired youth slowly disappearing behind the swarm of bodies.

"B-Brandy! You can't leave your own brother behind!"

"Just watch me!"

The fuzzy-clothed security guards had began hovering over to the hall and attempted to stop the budding chaos. The fight which broke between the one corner of the hall had triggered another battle with the Marines and other random, clueless victims.

"Stop fighting-zuzu!"

"We need _alive_ candidates, you know-zuzu!"

"Someone call the Minister-zuzu!"

"This is bad-zuzu!"

It grew worse within seconds.

* * *

**CRASH!**

* * *

Everyone froze from whatever they were doing.

All eyes turned towards the monster who managed to form a crater into one of the yellow walls. The walls not even the most able-bodied men could land a crack on. Rubble settled down like a curtain drawing away to present the starring actor.

A two foot soft toy with button eyes, a zipper mouth in a shark smile and a velvety paw with smoke winding out of it.

"Come on men, we're all in the same situation, aren't we?" he lectured like a disapproving teacher. "So, let's calm down and think of nice things. I don't know... lukewarm beer in a Sunday tavern?"

Speechless, no one was able to make a single sound.

So Brandy took the chance to yell. "WHY IS THERE A _BEAR_ HERE?"

If the teddy bear had facial expressions, he probably would have furrowed his imaginary eyebrows. "Erm, yeah, I know this body make be a shock to you but I think this is the least of all your worries right now..."

"No, really. Putting up pirates as marriage candidates is one thing. But a freaking teddy bear?" Brandy rambled. "This is one bloody messed up kingdom-zuzu. Oh shit, I'm talking like them too now."

The teddy bear stiffened, as if offended. "I _am_ a man you know. Twenty-seven this year actually."

"You can be the same age as my dad for all I care."

"Listen kid, just pipe down and stay calm," the bear went on. "Men, if we're going to be forced to go through trials for a Queen then I bet they'll be pretty tricky. You might as well all save your strength for whatever you're going to go through."

Surprisingly, the humans began to grudgingly remove their hands from collars, necks and hair. They began shuffling into their original groups, glaring and jeering at their supposed rivals. Bruno once again seized the opportunity to creep back to his crew until Tesler yanked on his arm. The teddy bear himself made no move at all, but satisfyingly nodded at the progressing peace among the men.

Tesler inclined his head. "How strange... a moving toy. What kind of energy do you think he runs on?"

"How did something as light as that managed to almost break a wall?" Bruno muttered.

As if the bear heard them, his stitched head swirled over to their direction. On soft, padded feet he began plodding his way towards them, making sure to dodge around the forest of legs.

_Bump._

"Ah, sorry, didn't meant to run into you..."

_Bump._

"Excuse me..."

_Bump._

"Sorry, my fault..."

A dozen bumps later the bear was free of obstacles.

He tripped over an invisible rock and fell flat on his nose.

Awkwardly, he ambled on. The bear held up a paw in greeting as he approached.

"Hello," he said cordially. "I'm Orso McGee."

Bruno, Tesler and Brandy were not sure who should speak up first. Tesler took the courtesy of fueling the conversation.

"Good morning- or afternoon- Mr. McGee, I have to thank you on the behalf of everyone here for stopping that brawl," Tesler tactfully said. "Please just call me Tesler."

Brandy didn't add anything to it.

"Nice to meet you all," Orso asserted. "But I'm not here to be making small talk, I wanted to talk to the lad with the ugly hair."

The chef jerked a thumb at Brandy. "You mean him?"

This just won the brunette a fierce glare. "Hey!"

"Yep," the bear nodded. "Him."

Brandy scowled darkly. "This better be good, bear." Talking to the toy made him feel like a five-year-old.

"Simple, I couldn't help but overhear you talking loudly for the past ten minutes or so and..." he let his voice trail off for a moment, as if hesitant to speak. "I thought it would be best if I tell you I know the little lass Rum."

His words made Brandy's jaw clench. He bent down onto one knee to bring his face closer to the bear's button eyes.

"Where? Honeymoon Island?"

Orso bobbed his head. "She had the same hair and eyes as you, lad. Not to mention, she did say a few words about her 'shouty' big brother." He settled onto the floor. "Thing is, I'm not here to tell you how to find her. I just wanted to tell you that she's going down a road you don't want to follow."

"I've gone too far for-"

The bear held up a paw to silence the boy.

"Lad. She's personally receiving training from a pirate hiding on the island. And if you value your life, stay away."

Brandy's mouth opened to argue, yet something else tugged at his mind, unexpectedly he frowned at Tesler.

"You didn't say anything about that."

The dark-haired twenty-year-old widened his grin by an impossible fraction. "You never asked."

"The pirate your sister is with is one of the Yonkou," Orso narrated. "I've only talked to the lass very recently so it's not like I have a lot of details. Still, since she's trying to get involved with someone like him there is no way you can drag her out of that tough world. Sorry to beak it to you, but there's nothing much you can do for her besides wish her the best of luck."

To Brandy's shock, he was tossed away as Vermouth barged in front of Orso.

"Y-You can't be serious!" he spluttered. "If one of my own kin submits to the world of piracy do you understand how damaging that is to the One-Shot name? She'll bring my entire family down with her!"

"Oh put a sock in it!" Brandy snapped and shoved back. He threw an evil eye at Orso. "You're saying Rum's hiding somewhere on the island, right? And you know where?"

Orso titled his heavy head. "You're still going after her?"

The question went on ignored. "If I get you out of here, would you take me to that crazy idiot?"

Orso was about to repeat everything he had said just minutes ago, however something kicked him at the inside of his the cheek. The boy heard him loud and clear. He was accepting the impossibility of the task.

Orso was most certain he would not be able to get through the trials alone, but if he had some help then that raised his chances of succeeding.

He smiled, not that it mattered much, his zipper smiling mouth never changes.

"I'm a shipwright too. I'm good with getting transport ready."

"I've got a teleporter, a pirate swordsman and a chef."

"Hey! I-"

"Good making business with you, lad."

"Likewise, bear."

* * *

Half of the ward was cleared for the remaining members of the Lightning pirates. Chance sat next to his young cabin boy who was positioned at one end of the room, the boy was bandaged head to toe and had an arm missing. Tock had physically tore it off in long agonizing seconds.

For a moment, Chance felt like crying. He had failed so badly to protect his family but the Marines were still so eager to welcome him into the position of Shichibuaki. It made no sense.

"They'll get better," the person behind him assured him. "The doctors here work like magic."

To make things worse, Chance would not get a single ounce of peace since a 'fellow Warlord' was tagging after him, trying to strike up in a conversation.

Dakota J. August, an oddly amiable man. His eyes were a sharp black but had an innocent twinkle to it, his orange hair was baby soft and his tanned face with the Jolly Roger tattoo was fresh and youthful. There not even a single crease of stress.

"I have to apologize for Tock's behaviour," August deplored. "He's on the league of... liveliness on his own, so don't worry about meeting anyone else who acts like him." He offered a kind smile.

The suited man hardly felt as if he wanted to return it.

"Since you've finished making the pact and all, you're free to come and go whenever you like in HQ," August disclosed. "You won't receive any jobs straight away or anything, not unless the Marines are in some state of emergency. Ah, that reminds me, Love is working right now..."

Chance did not exactly care who Love was.

"...was Pinocchio I think. Or something like that."

Very nearly did Chance forget to mask his reaction. Pinocchio, oh yes, he was offered that drug some time ago but that strange...

* * *

Love decided it would be best if his targets did not know who he was. The older One-Shot almost spotted him, though he managed to make a close call out of it.

He had a general idea before he hit the deck of his ship what was happening- an odorless, colorless gas. Young Nikki Murcott and her fascination for poisons admittedly gave Love a somewhat extended knowledge on sneaky weapons- liquids and gases.

It can't have been anything else. Love knew for certain he was not hit by anything physical.

Nevertheless, he had been too sloppy in his hunt for John Tesler. The results landed him with super-preserving honey in his mouth and a set of trials for some trivial Queen of a trivial island. It was actually sort of amusing.

In fact, everything which had happened since he woke up was amusing. The One-Shot brothers, the island inhabitants, the talking teddy bear and the sinfully powerful honey.

Why there was pirates here, why was he here, Love didn't waste time thinking over it. It was pointless anyway. He'll just get his stupid job done for that senile old man and go bother people again.

The only way to get about this was to complete the trials and succeed into the final stage where he could get the honey out of his system. Then he'll hurry up and finish the mission.

Of course, he wouldn't mind poking fun at the short-fused One-Shot boy too...

* * *

**I've done over 7000 words and don't have the toffee in me to re-read this for any more mistakes... so drop a review, tell me what I missed and I'll fix it after I finish battling my homework.**

**I wanted to post this slightly rushed version before everything gets _really_ busy, just so I don't disappoint you _that_ badly with my recycled idea of the honey, zuzu-ness and the trials. In fact, probably only one of you would get what I'm saying. Anyway, sorry for 7000 words of WTH, I'm in the middle of regaining writing skillz. **

**Does anyone have any idea who the Queen will pick to be her consort? XD**

******I promised more Wake but it seems I lied since I didn't expect the 'introduction' scenes to drag out so long.**

**I swear he doesn't even say proper sentences anymore when his hat is not on his head. Perhaps he's a cyborg like Franky and his hat is his brain/Central Processing Unit, so when they are separated, the body automatically goes looking for its CPU ;D Wouldn't that be an epic plot twist?**

"Oh noes! Wake's ran out of battery! We have to go to the Land of Mech to get him his juice!"

**Of course Seth and Anne will get their own fair of action.**

**Sorry for all the capital letters, I'm in a funny mood.**

**For anyone who doesn't know what Blanch means- **A method of cooking in which foods are plunged into boiling water for a few seconds, removed from the water and refreshed under cold water, which stops the cooking process. Used to heighten color and flavor, to firm flesh and to loosen skins.

**See you again next chapter! (hopefully)**

* * *

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus_ Bruno von Zeppeli_**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _- Orso McGee_**  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Rose  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Lightning Pirates- Captain Zarem Astaro "the Great Flash", "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin (first mate), "Abominatin" Turgo Asator  
**-**Royal Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron, Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster, (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels, (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) **  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator- _"Lightning" Chance Redcliffe


	14. Pursuit XII: Fairy Ring

******PLEASE READ: **

******For all readers, whether you review or not, I want to 'finalize' the character list below. If you still are willing to read despite my long holds, please submit the name of your OC in a review. If you've already given up, then no need. **

******This is mostly my fault, I understand, but this will be helpful in figuring out who is coming into the story in the future.**

**Hopefully, this will be the last time I ever force you guys to read my stupid author notes before the chapter XDD**

* * *

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit XII: Fairy Ring

* * *

_Previously On A L C O H O L..._

In an unknown island, masses of men including Brandy and his rag-tag crew have been forced to enter a series of trials which will test which one of them would be suitable to be the consort of the island's Queen. Participants include Love Rafael, Brandy's older brother Vermouth and a walking, talking teddy bear. Meanwhilst Anne and Seth are doing all they can to recover their lost crew.

* * *

_"Where you taking him?" Seth asked. "He just saved a life!"_

_"One life can't make up for the countless innocent victims he slaughtered," Right argued. "Not that he'll even remember his sins."_

* * *

[**Hachiningen Island. Stage 0**]

The outline of six double-doors began to etch itself onto the honey-yellow walls. Everyone was hesitant to decide which one to wait at, hovering about in a swarm of bodies from one door to the next. Brandy dragged his team over to the closest exit out of convenience before breaking into another argument with his unofficial chef.

"You know you stand no chance with your crew!" Brandy spat. "_We've_ got a bloody teleporter, a teddy bear who can punch like my doctor, a pirate with more beri than your _Captain_, and a guy who just kicked your ass!"

Bruno narrowed his eyes. "Haven't you ever heard of the word 'loyalty?'"

"Whatever-your-name, I swear on my family name I will definitely be loyal to you if you agree to cook something which isn't poisonous," Brandy said seriously, placing a hand over his heart.

An accusing finger was stabbed at his direction. "You only want me for my cooking, damn it!"

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"You're no better than a pirate, kid!"

"Why you- take that back you flipping-" Brandy was cut off when Tesler gave him another jab in the ribs with an elbow.

The archaeologist cleared his throat. "I thought you two lovebirds would like to know the doors are opening."

The statement was not entirely true, the doors were just creaking. It still excited the mass army of men who began to shove and jeer at eachother for no reason. Tension was rising, everyone was eager to fling themselves out of the sweet-smelling hall in order to beat the poison in their blood.

Brandy flexed his fingers.

"A couple of trials won't hurt, right? Piece of cake, these crazy bees probably aren't too creative." He let a grin spread across his face. "Hey Wake, I'm counting on you t-"

The silver-haired swordsman was nowhere to be found.

"...erm, Wake?" Brandy called out unsurely, spinning round in the little space he had.

Orso let out a deep cough and indicated with a paw to Wake's location.

On the floor.

Fast asleep.

"WAAAKE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Brandy roared. He grabbed the dozing man by the cuff of his black coat and began to yank on it. "We're going to die thanks to some crazy Queen and you're just _sleeping_ it off?_"_

A trail of drool escaped the corner of Wake's mouth. "Ngh... tired..." he mumbled, trying to roll onto his side.

"Just what did you do to make yourself tired! We've barely been here for an hour!"

Wake began pushing Brandy away childishly. "...tired... hat..."

"YOU'RE TIRED FROM _WORRYING_ ABOUT YOUR HAT?"

The doors were creaking louder which stimulated the men to get into a frenzy.

Vermouth in turn, was growing more agitated. His sibling's gang was simply hanging at the edge of the crowd, not making any real reaction to the fact the trials were beginning very soon.

"Why aren't we moving closer? Why are we all just standing here?" he demanded frantically.

Just out of fun, Tesler gestured a hand towards Wake. "Our 'trump card' is getting a little shut-eye. Not too much of a problem, is that sir?"

Whilst Brandy began to violently wake up his swordsman, Orso attempted to calm him down, Vermouth was in the midst of utter despair, Tesler was laughing morbidly and Bruno wondered if now was a good time to sneak away.

About then, did the doors abruptly swing open and pirates, Marines, and an ill-assorted horde of men began to pour out into their chosen exit, scrambling towards their first trial.

* * *

[**Gold Sea**]

Once again, Seth was bored. They had finished setting up the bait but nothing was coming to claim the male they have kidnapped. She began to gaze out at the endless blue sea using a pair of brass binoculars, stolen from their captive.

"Maybe he's too girly?" she suggested, taking an half-hearted interest in some seagulls.

The navigator next to her shrugged. "In my opinion, our Waltz is a lot prettier."

"Eh, really? I think Mr. Smile is."

"...I worry for you at times, Doctor."

The two females set off back on _Titanic_ not too far off from the spot where their comrades had vanished from. Their male was comfortably tied to the mast on the deck with his spectators watching from the shade.

Anne's eyes trailed to the discrete thread of blood which was attached to her wrist, the other end connected to the bait's ankle. The thread hopefully would be strong enough to not break if anything tried to grab him.

"Do you think the thing got bored?" Seth asked. "Or perhaps Captain Urchin and the others are beating it up!"

"Actually, that won't be too surprising," Anne admitted flatly.

Anne deep inside was lecturing herself for making such a poorly-planned scheme. Of course their options were extremely narrow since they had barely any information about what they were up against. For all she knew, she was just wasting precious time.

The young redhead tied to the mast meekly turned his head towards his spectators.

"Um... what exactly are you trying to sh-show me?" Nine asked.

Seth gave him a warm smile. "We have no idea! So that's why we're waiting!"

"Well, I-I... I can't help but notice..." he went on nervously. "W-We're in the Fairy Ring and all..."

The navigator began scrolling through the maps she made in her mind, she had most certainly not etched in a 'Fairy Ring' anywhere near the Gold Sea. In fact, the Gold Sea was an immensely boring topic to begin with.

Curiously, Anne strolled over to the timid 19-year-old.

"What's the Fairy Ring?" she asked, searching his eyes for a lie. "Where did you hear of this?"

Nine swallowed his breath. "I-I er... know l-lots of stories. Like, erm, y-you know... men used to come here in hope a f-fairy queen will come and pick a husband out of them. Y-You know?"

A pretty smile curved onto Anne's face. "No, I don't know. Please go on."

* * *

[**Hachiningen Island. Stage 1**]

There was surprisingly little to look forward to at first- it was merely a dark, empty hallway. In the end, Brandy and the others were so behind they could not even hear any of the men who had stormed ahead of them. It was extremely discomforting.

"Maybe they all died?" Tesler suggested.

Vermouth wailed miserably.

Scowling, Brandy gave his brother a slap on the back. "Pull it together, you sissy! You're the oldest out of all of us here!" he snapped. "This is what you get for not doing Uncle's training every day."

At that, Orso raised his head a little. "A question lad, are all of you One-Shots meant to know how to defend yourself?"

"The One-Shots are known to be the 'gentleman' warriors, they seek the battlefield from the path of justice so they say," Tesler answered instead. "Well, this current generation has gone a little AWOL don't you all agree?"

"Tesler you-"

Without warning, the sound of machinery roared wildly over them. A poorly lit platform ascended from the ground in front of them, hissing as it slowly came to a pause.

Everyone exchanged glances.

"First trial?" Vermouth asked meekly.

Bruno folded his arms. "Or first trap."

"Vermouth, you should go first. You've got sharp reflexes," Brandy pointed out flatly.

He received an anguished expression. "A-Are you trying to get me killed?"

"You only figured that out today?"

Before the conversation progressed though, Wake staggered in first. Brandy opened his mouth to yell at the swordsman but the platform already began to melt away, the whirring sound of the machine even louder than before.

A heavy thud echoed from what may have been the bottom.

It was Orso who tried calling out. "Are you alright down there, lad?"

There was a long silence.

"...there's nothing here."

Hesitantly, the others hopped onto the platform and allowed themselves to sink to their first obstacle. After a few minutes, the platform hissed again as indication they have reached a surface. As Wake said, there was nothing much to see. Just a single long path with no railings and darkness all around it.

Bruno squinted at the pitch black.

"Too bad we can't tell how deep that is," he muttered.

All eyes then focused at the pathway. It was just screaming ambush at them.

The path was big enough for two people to walk side by side, but wordlessly the group marched forward one by one. Wake went first, then Brandy, Bruno, Vermouth, Orso and Tesler. The first minute went by quietly, Wake's yawns and their footsteps were the only things what they heard being softly rebounded off the jet walls.

The silence was finally broken by Bruno who unintentionally let out a short chortle of amusement.

"What's so funny?" Brandy asked, not turning his head.

Bruno suppressed a grin. "Nervous, are you? Your hands are all shaky."

A vein throbbed. "Nervous? Hell, I'm practically shaking with excitement!" Brandy lied between his teeth. "But hey, look at you! Even in this lighting I can see you sweat."

The chef narrowed his eyes.

"Excitement, huh? Does that explain your shaky voice as well?"

Brandy childishly jabbed a finger at his direction. "Ha! You didn't deny the sweating!"

"I'll deny that you're even looking forward to this!" Bruno spat out. "I bet your're just pissing yourself inside, aren't you? I see it in your eyes!"

"I bet I'm feeling way more up for it than you are, you homophobe!"

"Oh you're so _ON_!"

Orso reached forward, attempting to lay a paw on the chef's trouser leg. "Come on lads, this isn't the time to be-"

Both Brandy and Bruno tore past Wake, almost knocking him off the lane. They raced ahead, shoving and kicking at eachother whenever they had the chance. The pounding of their feet was causing the entire path to shake uncontrollably.

Vermouth hugged the floor. "St-Stop it! Stop it!" he shrieked. "You'll kill us all!"

Being more lighter than the others, Orso was practically bouncing off the surface as if it was a trampoline. "Lads! It's dangerous to go so far ahead!" he shouted over Vermouth's cries.

Wake meanwhilst was struggling to get back onto the path since his legs were dangling off into the black abyss.

"Incoming!" Tesler suddenly shouted out.

On cue, an enormous, white-painted battering ram appeared from the side of the path, twice the size of an ordinary man. Bruno and Brandy combined forces out of instinct, and smashed the trap to pieces.

"OUTTA MY WAAAAY!"

As an explosion of snowy splinters rained past them, they glared at eachother and continued to sprint away.

Orso scratched the back of his cloth ear. "Kids these days... oh well, guess we've got no choice but to catch up with those two."

Tesler yanked Wake back on course.

"Well, that's one use for idiots like them. We now have suitable bait which can make the path safe for us! Isn't your brother helpful?" Tesler said to Vermouth, who was still trembling on the floor.

So the next entire stage consisted of the idiot duo activating all the traps and smashing their way through it relentlessly, while a small group of people followed effortlessly behind.

However, the process was growing tiresome.

"Why is there no end to this?" Bruno hollered, dodging a pelt of flying arrows.

Brandy kicked a scythe off-track. "Don't tell you're tired already!" he said with a smug grin.

"Hell as if I-" he was cut off when a giant metal ball bearing this time painted black smacked him in the side and sent him flying into the darkness.

Everyone heard his echoed scream '_That's cheatiiiiing!_' long after he was gone.

The ball then melted back into their inky surroundings, triggering a chain of more bizarre attacks to appear. A perfectly circular hole grew from under Tesler's feet, causing him to sink down below. He departed with a finger on his chin, muttering '_How interesting..._'

Orso and Vermouth were sucked into a large plastic tube that appeared from above, their echoed remnants were a mixture of '_My eye's comin' off!_' and '_AAAAAIIEEEEH!'_

Only Brandy and Wake were left fending for themselves.

"Damn it! When are they planning to give us back our weapons!" Brandy growled, somersaulting over more holes on the path.

Wake didn't seem to have an answer for him.

Groaning in frustration, Brandy deliberately angled a kick for one of the flying daggers to be sent onto the pathway. It instead was reflected off again by another person.

Another person.

Brandy almost stopped moving.

He had not noticed there was a pink-haired adult with them.

Definitely not.

"...who-"

A great portion of the pathway collapsed beneath his feet and Brandy made his descent. Wake tried to grab him before he vanished but instead just got dragged down into the black emptiness with his comrade.

Love rolled his eyes and hopped over a saw rising from the floor.

"I wonder if I should just fall in as well."

* * *

Sat upon a a lavish, marble chair covered in soft, plump cushions was a blank-faced Queen staring at the dozens of screens in front of her. She fanned herself gently whilst sucking on sickly-sweet candies.

A rather plump Minister who was sat at her right began to chuckle.

"My my, aren't the humans entertaining-zuzu?" he snorted.

Queen Mitsu sank into the cushions. "Hmph, quite useless-zuzu. By the time they get to Stage 2, half of them might be gone-zuzu."

The Minister who had spoke to the humans earlier gave her a short bow. "The more promising will become more emphasized as the trials progress-zuzu. Please do not worry-zuzu."

She tapped her chin with her fan.

"So, when are they getting their weapons and powers-zuzu?" she asked.

The plump Minister grinned at her. "At the middle of Stage 4, your Majesty-zuzu."

Mitsu's eyes flickered about the screens. She was severely surprised when seeing a contestant already enter the Stage 2 door. It was a dark-eyed skinny male sporting curly pink hair and a standard Marine jacket. As he walked further, Mitsu saw that the word 'Marines' on his back was crossed out in ink, with 'Pirate' scrawled by its side.

She jabbed her fan at the screen. "Who is this man-zuzu?"

Her Ministers were equally taken back to see a person completing Stage 1 so rapidly. The plump Hachiningen clapped his hands gleefully, whilst the others murmured under their breath, wondering if the human had got his hands on a weapon early.

Love strolled along carelessly, making the entire scenario seem more like a walk at the beach than into a deadly trap.

He passed the camera obliviously- then he stopped walking.

"So~ my wonderful stalkers," he drawled out. "Is it possible for you to throw me an antidote?"

His dark eyes flickered towards camera.

"..._please_-juju?"

One of the curious officers standing at the back was interrupted by a solemn-faced security guard. They excused themselves in the presence of their Queen and disappeared out of the room.

"What is you want-zuzu?" he hissed under his breath.

The soldier swallowed his breath. "My lord, we have intruders-zuzu."

"Then jus- wait, _what_-zuzu?" the Captain said in alarm. "How-zuzu?"

"They've broken through the Defense Ring's illusionary charms by warding it away-zuzu," the soldier reported. "It's a strange, heavy smoke... the Patrol cannot see the intruders very well with it at a distance, but we are operating with long-ranged projectiles-zuzu."

The Minister tapped his chin. "They got through the Ring by using a type of smoke-zuzu?" His golden eyes widened until they were far too big for his head. "Wait-zuzu! Cut off the attack, those intruders... bring the intruders to me _alive_-zuzu! In fact, use the sleeping drug-zuzu!"

He surprised by his Captain's growing agitation.

"C-Captain-zuzu?"

"Just do as I say-zuzu! Make sure none of the intruders are dead-zuzu!"

"But we have already began firing-"

"Then what are you waiting for-zuzu?"

* * *

[**Marineford**]

One thing Abbott Chorley undeniably hated about his work was his Captain. Scratch that, he hated most of his superiors- including Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot, that sly fox was recently eyeing a promotion to Vice Admiral. Wasn't being four ranks higher enough torture?

He pushed the smug grinning teal-head out of his mind. He focused on his Captain who looked like she was on death's door.

"Captain Hadley..." he muttered quietly, tempted to whack her in the face with the folder under his arm.

She went on snoring softly, but a man draped across the sofa picked up on his voice. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and squinted at the clock. "I didn't see you crashin' here last night, Chorley. What time did you turn up for the party?"

Chorley's eye twitched. "Commander Malusi, I was on duty last night and only arrived here about five minutes ago."

For some reason, Malusi waggled his eyebrows. "I see, I see. Captain Hadley trusts you enough with the location of her own den? Y'don't see that one often. Sure you two haven't got anythin' else going on there?"

This was going to a long day, Chorley just felt it. "Commander, sir. With all due respect, this happens to be _my_ apartment."

A long, awkward silence followed.

Birds were chirping outside.

Malusi stared round the room. The once neat and tidy living room had turned into a hurricane aftermath; empty cans and bottles of alcohol of all kind were thrown into a small mountain at one corner, more than a dozen off-duty Marines were sleeping with their minds obliterated via intensive drinking and partying, the bathroom was smelling rather peculiar even from the other side of the room, the window was smashed and the pretty-looking glass coffee-table was broken into two.

"...dude, you painted your walls pink?"

Very nearly, Chorley strangled the man. "Puce, sir. It is more purple-brown."

"Chorley. It's definitely pink."

Chorley was in no mood to start an argument about his wall paint at this early in the morning, he was here for a job, and the job always comes first. He stepped over the random bodies strewn across his floor and knelt down next to his Captain.

"Captain Hadley," he said more firmly, even shaking her arm. "Captain, you have work to do."

The woman squinted at him through a curtain of bright orange hair. "Abbott, is that you?" she murmured, pushing the hair out of her face. "How did you get here?"

Yes, it was definitely going to be a long day.

"Captain Hadley, you're in my apartment," he replied slowly.

Hadley casually stretched her lightly tanned arms. "Sweetie, you know I love you, but kidnapping me isn't going to make me want to marry you."

Malusi began sniggering from the sofa.

A long, _long_ day.

"Ma'am, I received news that you were inviting sailors who were off-duty to a party located to my apartment," Chorley clarified between gritted teeth. "I came to collect you."

She rubbed her eyes. "Collect me? For what?"

"You have an urgent mission to attend to as soon as possible," the Lieutenant Commander went on. "However ma'am, I would prefer to debrief you when you are more... presentable."

Hadley eventually began more aware of her surroundings. She nodded her head at the state of the room, almost impressed with what she was seeing.

"Right, right. I hear you sugar, so remove your mug from my beautiful face and let me freshen up." She glanced at the bathroom. "Second thought, mind if we take a detour to my place?"

It was not like Chorley had much say in the matter, his Captain had already gathered her belongings and was marching out to the door. Before Chorley followed, he threw his fist against the window, making it crack loudly, it caused every person in the room to wake up in a jolt.

They all stared at the pink-eyed man in bewilderment and confusion.

The pink irises began to glow red.

"_All of you are to return this apartment to its original state_."

He departed, leaving a dozen men madly circling his living room with cleaning equipment and bin bags.

* * *

[**Hachiningen Island. ****Inner Fairy Ring**]

Very rarely Anne complains of such things as the weather, the state of her clothes, how bad a place smelt, how messy the scenario is... being the practical person she is, she would just fix the mess as best as she could. Unfortunately, she was in a situation where she was not allowed to fix the mess.

Crying her eyes out, Anne turned the steering wheel to correct its course. The mysterious island which appeared suddenly ahead of them.

A loud siren began to echo in the distance.

"H-How -_cough_- did we -_cough_- get found out? I thought you -_cough_- said there w-weren't any -_cough_- cameras out here!" she choked out.

The redhead was calmly adding more chopped onions into the boiling gloop in the cauldron, that breathed ghost white smoke out in monstrous amounts. He didn't as much wrinkle his nose at the tear-inducing smoke or the rancid smell.

"S-S-Sorry," he stammered. "I-It's not like I've a-actually been here..."

The navigator let out a sigh of frustration and spun the wheel.

"Nine! If they've spotted -_cough_- us, can we get rid of -_cough_- this godawful smell! We're practically -_cough_- sitting ducks with their -_cough_- flying!" she shouted.

Nine was uncharacteristically defiant. "Th-They won't see much with the smoke! W-We shouldn't take our chances anyway, um, th-the illusion g-g-gases may still be wafting around here! Th-The moment we're caught in it we're f-f-finished!"

"What I do for -_cough_- those boys," Anne growled.

She wasted a precious few seconds to wipe more tears away from her eyes.

"Do we stick -_cough_- to the same destination?" she hollered. "Won't -_cough_- it be guarded now?"

"W-Well..."

Seth threw her head out of the crows nest. "Calling Captain Map! King-sized hail ahoy!" she cheerfully announced, the stolen binoculars dangling on her neck.

Her two companions stared up at her.

"...hail?"

Suddenly, explosions thundered around the _Titanic_. Anne gripped the steering wheel tighter, almost losing her footing at impact. Fountains of sea water sprayed onto the ship, hitting every surface like cold, salty needles.

From the murky sky, a rain of cannon balls was streaming down.

Anne muttered a curse and jerked the _Titantic_ to the left. A cannon ball almost grazed the back of the vessel.

The waters grew perilous, huge water spurts erupted from all directions, creating large deafening sounds which did not help Anne's loose concentration. Somewhere in the commotion, Seth was knocked out of the raised platform. She clung onto one of the ropes holding the sails, then swung herself onto a shaking gaff.

She whipped her head up and saw another cannon ball heading for the main mast.

Leaping into the air, Seth headed right for the projectile.

**"Sling Star!"** Her first connected with the shot and sent it flying back into the air where it exploded into a brilliant firework.

Nine deserted his disgusting work of art and clambered onto the bowsprit. He turned his head to the navigator, wildly flapping one arm.

"Change course! Change course!" he shouted in panic. "It's all armed!"

However, another cannon ball landed heavily close to the right-side of the hull. At the force of contact, Anne went flying towards the opposite direction, hitting the banister like a limp rag-doll.

The cauldron rolled overboard, leaving behind a trail of its smoking innards.

Seth was still hanging near the topmast when she saw the next cannon ball.

"MAP! One o'clock!"

The blonde woman briskly recovered from the collision, cuts, bruises and all. In spite of that, she was still too far away from the steering wheel to maneuver the ship away in time.

**"Doki Doki no Muchi!"** (_Bloody Whip_)

The small gash on her palm served as the medium to summon a familiar snake of blood. It shot out onto one of the wooden pegs on the wheel, tying itself promptly. Anne threw her entire weight on her end of the whip, yanking the wheel to a half tilt.

_Titantic_ was pulled to safety.

The cannon ball fires didn't seem close to ending. They pounded the water like war drums.

The Hachningen were more visible now the smoke was cleared, they fired the projectiles from the skies, four were supporting the weapon whilst two loaded and unloaded it methodologically. They swarmed in large groups, resembling an angry, dark cloud.

Behind her, Seth whammed onto the set of stairs leading to the quarterdeck. Nine was fretting over his lost cauldron.

"What now?" she asked.

Anne didn't know yet, her brain was spinning madly. Even if they retreated now, the winged soldiers can easily catch up to them. There was no way to attempt a serious battle when the only two fighters on board who sinks in water like a rock. By the looks of what was left of their smoke, they did not have a lot of stalling time.

She squinted at the island ahead of her, at the glittering gold city.

Her eyes began to water.

"Would someone please get -_cough_- rid of that -_cough-_ smoke!" Anne groaned.

"The smell isn't _that_ bad!" Seth giggled. "But if it's too much for you, just think about Seppuku-dono's cooking!"

Anne's skin tinged into a light shade of grey. "...thank-you _Doctor_, I really need-_cough_-ed that."

"Anytime!" the girl sang.

Nine pointed wildly at the Hachiningen who were now descending towards the ship,a leader was briskly yelling orders at them, it had stopped the cannonball fire at the very least.

"P-Please, this isn't the right t-t-time!" Nine stammered. "They're coming down to attack us!"

Anne went into another coughing fit.

"We'll have to go -_cough_- back inside," she said weakly. "If they use poison darts -_cough_- like you said, then it is not safe out -_cough_- here."

As she said that, Seth studied the approaching winged soldiers through the binoculars.

"Do people usually carry darts in tiny pouches? Seems like a silly idea," she commented.

In reaction, Nine's gave her a confused expression for a few seconds, before realization soaked through his brain.

He gave the two females a goofy smile. "Th-They're not planning to k-k-kill us! They're g-going to use the sleeping drug!"

Anne did not share his relief. "How are you sure?" she choked out.

"W-Well, the Patrol n-never carry lethal dosages anymore, since th-they always has been a-accidents," Nine explained as quickly as he could. "M-Maybe they want to q-question us? O-Or turn us away?"

Seth knelt down and curiously poked the smoking broth with a finger. Fine wisps curled into the air, acting as a poor fragment of its once great, rolling waves. "So, are we just going to let them capture us? Smokey's dying fast."

Despite her watery eyes and nasal throat, Anne let a soft smile curl onto her tear-stained face.

In less than a minute, the Patrol zoomed onto their targeted ship, slightly bemused by their Captain's insistence on having the intruders alive. Two soldiers sprinkled the odorless, colourless across the deck whilst the others waited for it to settle.

Before the two even finished covering the rest of _Titanic_, the three humans were already fast asleep.

* * *

[**Marineford**]

"The One-Shot heir got kidnapped, huh?" Hadley muttered, easing on her white regulation jacket. "I remember him, he looked fantastic as the rest of the lot. Hair, scarf and all."

Chorley only nodded his head.

"Still, it's pretty early sending a rescue team over to him, isn't it?" she added. "Besides, it's not _our_ job to be doing this sort of thing- even if he is the Admiral's sort-of nephew."

A handful of newspaper clippings were produced from the manila folder.

"He was not the only person who had suddenly disappeared in a similar fashion," Chorley explained, waving a hand to the headlines all saying 'MISSING.' "A lot of men vanished without a trace within a small area in the Gold Sea. The only common thing about them was their gender, nothing else."

Hadley snatched one, stared at it for less than a second and tossed it back onto the table. "Right, so the higher-ups are thinking that some mysterious, invisible pirate is doing all this?"

Chorley laced his fingers together. "That is not known. It could be anything from a monster to a extraordinary human. Your objective Captain, is to confirm what it is."

The Captain paused in the middle of tying her signature orange bandanna around her neck. "I've just been noticing sweetie, but there doesn't seem to be a 'we' in team anymore."

She received an apathetic gaze.

"Ma'am, any adult man whether being a pirate, a sailor or fisherman in the Gold Sea is in potential danger," Chorley grounded out. "It would make no sense to send any male Marine sailor with you."

Hadley raised her eyebrows.

"Then how the heck am I going to find this mystery harem-hunter?" she asked flatly.

"I said that it would make no sense to send a Marine sailor, there is no problem with taking a pirate ready to be executed instead," Chorley assured her calmly.

Still, Hadley appeared rather unimpressed with the plan.

She scratched the back of her unruly hair and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, guess I'll just wander about and see what I can find... but under one condition."

Chorley masked his surprise very well, he did not expect his Captain to accept such as a baseless job so quickly. "What will that be, Captain?"

A casual smile stretched over Phoenix Hadley's face. "I want to pick the pirate."

Her subordinate made no immediate reaction to her words.

Then.

"Captain, are you going to pick a man to flirt with whilst on the mission?" he deadpanned.

"Now Abbykins, you know you're the only man for me... even if you paint your walls pink."

"It's _puce_, ma'am."

"Just keep telling that to yourself, babe."

* * *

[**Hachiningen Island. Stage 2**]

The Patrol marched through the honey hallways towards the Minister's office, dragging the three humans behind them.

Seth twitched.

* * *

A hefty pirate with a knuckle duster wrapped over his hand, charged his way towards his screeching, teal-haired target. Just as he was about to throw his arm back, something small darted over hid eyes.

**"Kumo Tekken!"**

A blast of energy pummeled into his face, the impact tossing against the wall with a mighty crash.

Vermouth stared at the pirate for a few seconds before collapsing onto the floor. In his gratitude, he gave his saviour a childish glare.

"Wh-Why didn't you do that _earlier_? Before he was lumbering to me like some animal!" Vermouth cried.

Orso patted his knee. "Element of surprise, lad."

At that, Vermouth flinched away. "Don't touch me with that hand!"

Tilting his head slightly, the soft toy stared at his paw in mild confusion. "What's wrong with my hand?"

"I'm not blind, you know," Vermouth huffed. "You only ever use your right hand in combat- or really to create large impacts."

The zipper smile was a mocking image of the amusement lighting up inside Orso.

"Maybe you're not as useless as your brother made you out to be," he said lightly. "You pay attention to things."

Vermouth simply rolled his eyes. "Oh please, I may not be physically strong as my brothers but I am _far_ more intelligent.

"Whatever you say, lad. Now, let's move, shall we?"

Terror flooded Vermouth's face. "A-Are you out of your mind! We'll j-just set off more traps!" He huddled up inside his safe, homely corner.

Orso face-planted. What made things worse was the little cute squeak which was emitted.

"Listen here, you said it yourself that you're smart," Orso began in a patronizing tone. "So lad, the best course of action should be-"

* * *

"-to regroup with the rest of the crew, where we have a better chance of survival," Tesler finished explaining.

Bruno was strolling ahead of him, showing no sign of listening to the archaeologist.

Instead of being annoyed, Tesler simply allowed the grin on his face to stretch wider. "Now now Mr. Chef, are we such horrible-looking company you prefer to crawl beneath the feet of your embarrassing excuse of a Captain?"

"Oh, go creep on someone else!" Bruno snapped over his shoulder.

Tesler matched the bigger male's stride so they were walking side-by-side. "It's because I'm uniquely 'creepy,' I am so well known by the world," he said cheerfully. "I have many contact, resources, names... how about we strike a bargain?"

"Oh, like what?" Bruno grumbled, not bothering to mask his cranky mood.

He didn't get a reply straight away.

"Before an assassin, I'm a businessman. The way I do things is simple; you can list me what you need and I'll stick a price on it. Easily understanble, isn't it, Mr. Zeppeli?"

Bruno was getting bored of the conversation.

"And what the hell makes you think you've got something I want?"

Tesler inclined his head, allowing locks of inky hair to swipe over his face. "Well," he drawled out. "I'm under the assumption that you and "Kettle" Zeppeli were related, so both of you probably share similar ta-"

He was cut off when a boot slammed next to his head.

The wall behind them shuddered at the force of the sudden attack. Tesler glanced at the cracks on the surface calmly and swivelled his deep green eyes towards his supposed crewmate.

The veins on Bruno's neck were visibly throbbing, his muscles were clenched and fists tightening. Tesler took this all in with his trademark smile still pinned neatly to his face.

"I take it you are not on good terms with him?" he inquired.

Bruno's eye twitched.

"**How**_ the bloody _**hell**_ do you know him_?"

* * *

Wake and Brandy erupted from a pair of double doors with a sea of fire just a bare inch away from catching their ankles. They grabbed a heavy knocker each and threw it back, slamming the exit shut.

The next few minutes went by with them catching their breaths.

"How much... money and effort went... to building... this monster playground?" Brandy wheezed out.

Wake wiped beads of sweat from under his thick silvery fringe.

"Are we still in Stage 1?" he asked quietly.

Brandy shoved his arm. "Forget about that! Who was that guy following us earlier?" He paused. "...that _was_ a guy, right? I mean, I think I saw pink hair..."

He was responded with a nonchalant gaze from the swordsman.

"...did you upset him?"

"WHY IS EVERYTHING NOW MY FAULT?"

All the anger and frustration boiling inside Brandy was released into a long ranting episode. A very long episode. Wake took the opportunity to study the supposed Stage 2 in more detail. He guessed that they were in a maze. High walls loomed over them at both sides, but were spaced quite far apart to allow free movement. He probably would be able to...

"...stupid Vermouth who does nothing but complain an-" Brandy stopped in mid-flow.

Wake nodded his head in approval at his inspection.

"GET _UP_ YOU USELESS SAMURAI! THIS ISN'T A TIME FOR A NAP!"

Whilst Brandy gave his dear friend a rude awakening, a gaggle of screaming contestants flew into the violent scene through the very door the duo used in their escape.

The good news: the contestants were freed from the white-hot claws of fire and were cushioned by a humanoid urchin. The bad news: humanoid urchin was in a foul mood.

His mother dumped Rum on him. Rum gets him into trouble. Rum leaves home. He almost gets squashed by a mast. Gets a broken leg. Gets bruised bones on a regular basis by a doctor. Almost drowns. Makes enemies with a Marine. Ends up having a pirate on his ship. Gets stabbed. Re-opens wounds thanks to some cabaret girls. Almost drowns again. Gets kidnapped by _bees_. Is currently relying on the assistance of a pirate who has the memory-span of a parrot...

**"RAAAAAANKYAAAKKUUUUUUU!"**

Brandy threw all his weight into one leg which he launched in a great swerving arc. The kick sent a sharp blade of compressed air which sliced through at least three of the thick maze walls, as well as whipped up a storm of rubble in a grainy hiss.

The team of unsuspecting, forsaken men were tossed at all directions, all disappeared from sight.

Wake slowly got to his feet and dusted off his long black coat.

"...didn't know you can do that," he commented.

"Of course you don't. I never use that because it- _AAARGH_!" Brandy buckled onto the floor, clutching his leg in pain. "So wasn't worth it. _So_ wasn't worth it. So wasn't damn worth it!"

Silver eyes watched him indifferently. "Pulled a muscle?"

"My legs are _prosthetic,_ you moron!" Brandy howled as he rolled inelegantly across the floor. "Urgh. Why did I do that...?"

Wake wordlessly knelt down next to the frowning tealhead and helped him sit up against the broken wall. His eyes flitted upwards, finding something curiously new to stare at.

Following his line of sight, Brandy turned his head round to see what was so interesting.

Across the two wrecked walls, a bystander was spotted stepping out of the dust.

It was the pink-haired stranger.

"Well, isn't that a surprise?" he announced languidly. "Didn't think Admiral Baldie had the balls to break the law and teach a child Rokushiki."

Brandy swore loudly at the sight of the familiar white coat. "Just great... a Marine."

Love simply arched a pink eyebrow. "Yes, I'm a Marine. I love being a Marine. I serve fools for the sake of the safety of Nation Fool. I dedicate my life to the great iron fist of justice simply because I have nothing better to do with my life, than die as a pitiful fool."

"Um... fine then... I didn't care anyway. Why are you following us?" Brandy demanded.

"I've decided to impress the girl of my dreams by presenting her a human-sized sea urchin," Love responded passively.

There was a pregnant silence.

Brandy tugged on Wake's arm. "Oi Wake, can you throw me to that son-of-a-bitch over there so I can beat the crap out of him?"

Wake was yawning into his hand, he sluggishly met Brandy's piercing glare with a vacant expression. "Who's Wake?"

"...you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Instead of a reply, a loud thud filled into the conversation. In front of Wake was large, bulky, double-edged sword, it had many scratches along the side of the blade, and an ugly stain which was caused by an angry Brandy a few days ago in the kitchen.

Enigma.

Brandy blinked owlishly. "Wh-Where did that come from?"

His answer descended onto him in a shower of flying objects. Weapons of all kinds and blue-tinted glass bottles were falling from the black ceiling, returning to their original masters.

Wake caught a bottle casually with one hand. There was a small label tied to the cork lid which read- _antidote_.

"Is this the last Stage or something?" Brandy asked out loud.

**Gulp.**

His attention snapped back to the pink-haired adult who downed an entire bottle himself, in just a single swig. He carelessly tossed the glass over his shoulder and wiped his mouth.

"Tastes disgusting," he said.

The younger two did the same. Enigma was collected away and Brandy managed to wobble to his feet.

"Let's go," he muttered. "We should leave the Marine alone."

However, the 'Marine' wasn't quite done.

"Excuse me, does this sword belong to either one of you?" Love called out, holding out a bandaged katana. "I don't carry weapons because I'm that much of a fool."

Brandy squinted at it. "Hey Wake, isn't that your-"

He crashed face-first onto the floor as Wake completely forgot about him, his focus entirely devoted to the clothed weapon in the stranger's hands.

"That's... mine," Wake confirmed.

Love absently loosened the bandages so a part of the hilt was visible. "Oh? Hang on a minute, this looks quite familiar." He was about to pull a section of it off until he was abruptly interrupted by a flying titantic blade.

He hopped to the side, watching Enigma shot deep into a wall, creating jagged cracks in a spider-web formation.

"That's my sword," Wake said quietly, but in a tone Brandy had never heard before. The "Sleeping Demon" always was cool-headed and soft-spoken no matter what the situation, even if he was getting beaten up or thrown overboard a ship, he wouldn't bat an eye.

Yet, the sword that he would never use unassumingly was an exception.

Love cocked his head. "Sure it is," he pronounced smoothly. "I guess Silverlock's little emblem happens to be your original design as well? Look, I'll refresh your memory." He was yanking on the bandaging again.

At the exact precise moment did Wake's oversized revolver came in sight. The swordsman looped his finger round the trigger guard, spun the weapon onto his hand and let out a stream of bullets.

Love ignored the firing and tried to figure out the complicated mess of dressing securing the katana.

"You really know how to mummify things, don't you?" Love sighed, not sure if he was making any progress at all.

Though most of Wake's heavy bullets generally missed his target, the several which advanced directly at the body simply flew through as if Love and pierced the wall behind

"Wait Wake!" Brandy commanded, staggering to his feet again. "You can't fight him! He's-" the rest of his voice was unable to overcome the thundering noise of the revolver.

Wake didn't lift his finger from trigger. His eyes were for once, wide open as if woken up from a nightmare. Eventually, the cartridge emptied so Wake tore after Enigma.

**"Sontakeishiki: Jukansho!"** (_Sonata form: Recurring_)

Dozens of air-compressed slashes pounded onto Love, an eruption of rubble blasted at all directions from the raw power of the attack. Brandy clamped his eyes and mouth shut as warm dust gently slapped his face.

Enigma skidded near his feet, along with a series of small coin-shaped objects.

"Wake you idiot! Listen next time, damn it!" he barked into the blind. "Heck, are you even still alive?"

Wake got the picture quite clearly himself, without Brandy's handy help. Love was standing completely unharmed in front of him, a hand strangling the "Sleeping Demon" quite conveniently.

"Before I accidentally kill you, mind telling me how you got hold of Silverlock's tool," Love questioned. "Well, technically her papa made them but let's not get too side-tracked here."

Wake gripped Love's wrist tightly, his silver eyes burning a cold metallic grey.

"If you know what it really is..." he hissed out in gurgled words. "You will never... try using it..."

Love was looking more bored than Wake. "Fool. Never said I wanted to use it. I just wanted to know how you got it."

Unclaimed bottles began to smash around them, glittering glass and sparkling liquid scattered the ground like a sea of jewels.

"AS IF HE CAN REMEMBER THAT!"

A projectile shot out from the hastily-built nozzle on Brandy's foot, rushing to the pink-haired landing point. Not a second after it exploded, Brandy kicked up the sword using his working knee and flung it on the same trail.

Wake's hand reached out to grab the hefty blade, and swung it in a wide, curving arc.

**"Sonatakeishiki: Aizu!"**

A streak of blood splattered across the floor.

* * *

The Patrol didn't even had time to register what was happening when Seth suddenly punched one of the members square in face, sending him bouncing off the walls.

******"The Dirty Technique which kids should never do in a fair fight! Light version!"**

During the time the others stared at her in bafflement, Anne spat out some foul white past from her mouth and bit onto her finger.

**"Doki Doki no Ame!"** (Bloody Rain)

A light shower of blood hit the rest of the Hachiningen like sharp knives.

So in the end, Smokey served well after all. It managed to keep the sleeping dust at bay, and had them escorted into the island by the Patrol themselves. Too bad it left a bitter aftertaste in its memory.

Nine watched their backs whilst Anne and Seth searched for the security room. The rest of the work was quite easy.

Sat comfortably in the Captain's seat, Anne watched as the contestants joyfully take their early antidotes and swing their reunited weapons in newly-found confidence. The weapons had automatically went back to its owner so she didn't worry about her comrades needing to go hunting for theirs.

Seth and Nine finished tying up the last of the security members.

"Now what?" Seth asked.

Anne scanned through the screens. "We find our damsels in distress, and get out before we get into anymore trouble."

"That's impossible," Nine mumbled to himself.

The door they had locked were being thumped by dozens of enraged guards.

"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS-ZUZU? HER MAJESTY DEMANDS TO KNOW WHO RELEASED THE ANTIDOTES AND WEAPONS-ZUZU!"

Anne's eyes didn't leave the screens. "Doctor, be a dear and answer the door."

* * *

[**Honeymoon Island**]

The Royal Coat pirates were all long-time, experienced, seasoned warriors of the sea. They had little to fear with the Captain on their side. _On their side._

This quivering, once mighty crew of the Royal Coat voted out on the poor sod who was going to have to present Himitsu the Terrible News. Yes, _that_ Terrible News. The news they thought they would never have to utter... 'Captain's precious little cabin boy was missing.'

"Um sir, I have some unfortunate news to share..." muttered the soon-to-be deadman.

Himitsu didn't look up from the book he was reading. "Little Rum knocked your tooth out?"

"No sir... you see... N-Nine is currently missing."

The book snapped shut. "Oh, what happened?"

"We don't know yet sir, but I heard rumours that some time ago two young females were dragging a bound boy up onto a large ship."

The Captain looked thoughtful, his eyes had drifted to the window where they rested on the golden sun dipping into the waters. He drummed his fingers against the table, unknowingly making the pirate in front of him flinch at every tap.

Himitsu gave the man a quirky smile.

"Heh heh. Lucky bastard, isn't he?"

"...hah?"

* * *

_Come into the Fairy Ring  
for a beautiful Fairy Queen's hand_

_Come into the Fairy Ring  
if you wish to rule Her land_

* * *

**Hope the order of scenes weren't too confusing... and erm, apologies about the long wait.**

**Wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year! :D**

* * *

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus_ Bruno von Zeppeli_**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _- Orso McGee_**  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green- _Smoltwire_  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart- _Artemst_  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley- _SilverFish101_  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Rose - _flyingwhirlwinds_  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Lightning Pirates- Captain Zarem Astaro "the Great Flash", "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin (first mate), "Abominatin" Turgo Asator - _shadowjohn 101_  
**-**Royal Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron-_ Psychotic Tendency,_ Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster-_ Alan DeLan Writer,_ (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels-_ A Thinking Man's Radish,_ (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones- _Aurora Nightz_, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) _KatMeister_**  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator- _"Lightning" Chance Redcliffe


	15. Pursuit XIII: Surprised Warlord

**A L C O H O L**

Pursuit XIII: Surprised Warlord

* * *

_Previously On A L C O H O L..._

Seth, Anne and Nine finally managed to get themselves inside Hachiningen Island and are already causing mayhem for the security, they are currently searching for the rest of their crew through the cameras planted around the island.

Weapons returned and powers recovered, Brandy and Wake were about to make their escape- until waylaid by shichibuaki Love Rafael.

Separated from them, Bruno and Tesler engage in a professional conversation and Orso learned how to make pep talk.

* * *

_Love propped his head against the table and sighed almost pityingly. "To be honest, I never thought you Marines had much of a reputation to begin with."_

_"A snail can sleep for three years," Nikki abruptly cut in. She was automatically ignored._

_Silverlock glanced at Love with a composed expression. "Love Raefal, you should learn to keep such comments to yourself. The Marines are at least more well-formed than you."_

_"What a pun," Tock sniggered. "Was it intentional?" He too was ignored._

* * *

[**Marineford. 3 years ago**]

Most people thought that the reason she was called "Silent" Silverlock was because she ended her fights quickly without making too much commotion out of it. It was an honestly far more simpler reason than that- she just doesn't talk.

Love thought she was born mute until ten seconds ago.

"Enough," she commanded.

She stood in front of a barely breathing pirate, a hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

The warning went unnoticed by "Sea Mage" Orotooni. "Step aside, Silent," he growled. "I haven't finished with that rat yet."

Love thought she actually didn't know how to use a sword until-

The 'indestructible' mace Orotooni favoured so much exploded into a firework of splinters and crumbly stone. The huge man stared at his weapon in shock, giving Silverlock a grand opportunity to press the point of her sword against his neck.

"I don't like to repeat myself," she informed him calmly. "Our mission was to bring this man back alive."

Love was very sure that Orotooni was going to lash out at the small woman. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles looked as if they were going to pop out from under the skin.

Nonetheless, Silverlock seemed perfectly happy to sheath her weapon.

Love thought that the sword was too long and delicate to use well- but she just proved him wrong there as well. What he noticed that he didn't see before was the emblem carved onto the hilt. A falcon with a key clasped its claws.

He only saw it for a second because Orotooni finally snapped at her.

* * *

"WAAKE!" Brandy caught his comrade seconds before they crashed onto the floor. "Damn! You're heavy!"

Being insulted was the last troubling thing in Wake's mind. All he was able to focus on was the fire inside his stomach, though it was burning him to agony, it actually made him feel sleepy.

"Oi oi oi, what is wrong with your eyes?" Brandy grasped hold of Wake's paling face. "Don't fall asleep on me, damn it! Where the hell did he cut you?"

The shichibukai rolled his eyes. "He can't show you."

It was as if Brandy had forgotten the pink-haired adult was there the entire time.

"What?"

"He can't show you," Love repeated. "The cut can't be seen from the outside."

Brandy was in no mood for vague answers. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

Love casually shrugged.

"I'll be honest, I didn't really mean to hurt him badly," he said passively. "But, since some mad stranger was coming at me with a sharp weapon, I guess I acted purely out of self defense."

Brandy was growing more frustrated. "Just tell me what the hell you did!"

Black eyes bored into him.

"You really can't figure it out?" Love drawled out. "Your dying friend there made it pretty obvious a minute ago."

Frantically, Brandy thought back- just what happened to Wake? He remembered the swordsman in a rage, firing at the pink-haired pirate. Though, _none of the bullets hit him_.

Realization smacked him smartly in the face.

"You... you cut him up," Brandy deduced. "...from inside his body."

Love applauded him sarcastically. "Yes, yes, well done son. Why don't I give you a prize?" The pirate dropped Wake's bandaged katana carelessly, leaving a ringing noise. "Here, you can bury this with him after you find some ground."

This spiked suspicion in Brandy's spine. "Why? You were so interested in it a minute ago."

"And I got bored a minute later."

In the end, nothing would change if Love did know why the silver-haired pirate had one of Silverlock's swords. She wasn't exactly all that fun company anyway- he'd much rather pry at secrets belonging to a Marine bigshot, they usually had promising reactions.

Love flicked his wrist in a casual wave and sauntered off.

"Bye then, One-Shot."

Brandy was left alone with a mortally wounded Wake, with no way of saving him.

_Come on, think Brandy. There must be something you can do. _

His hold round Wake's shoulder tightened a little. Wake ignored his comrade and tried to focus on drawing the bandaged sword closer to him, even simply crawling had him wheezing for breath.

_To hell with this! What does a netmaker know about internal bleeding? _

He was stuck in a maze most likely filled with deadly traps, far away from any source of help and had a time limit before Wake dips into a sleep he'll never wake up from.

_Wake's going to die. We're so _**screwed_._**

"Would someone... anyone! SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!"

A speaker resonated across the room.

_Captain Urchin. Captain Urchin. Can you hear me?_

His prayer was answered.

* * *

_Captain Urchin, stay put. Lay Seppuku on the floor, keep him comfortable and raise his feet in the air a little. Doctor will pick you up._

_Smiles and Chef, stay put. Map will pick you up._

Tesler finished glugging down the antidote and tossed it aside.

"That voice is very unfamiliar," he commented. "Did our navigator and doctor pick up a new crewmember?"

He then ducked onto the floor, watching Bruno fly over him out of the corner of his eye.

The chef flexed his fingers. "Not the right time for you to get distracted," he spat.

Tesler smiled cheerfully. "Sorry if I made you jealous." He took a dainty step to the right as Bruno charged with a clenched fist at him. "So, does my offer still stand?"

"Your _offer_?" Bruno retorted. Before Tesler had the chance to get at a safe distance away, Bruno threw his weight into one leg and used it as leverage to throw him back to the archaeologist's direction.

Before Bruno landed a hit onto the smug face he hated so much, it disappeared.

Tesler teleported on the blind side of Bruno and childishly stuck a foot out, causing Bruno to graciously trip over.

The bigger man fell flat on his face, crushing his nose against the honey-yellow floor.

**"Kane Kagami!" **(_Metal Mirror_)

Snarling like an enraged animal, Bruno slammed his hand flat against the wall next to him, replacing the oversized zippers that covered all surfaces in sight, to fatter and smaller zippers.

Tesler raised an eyebrow, fairly amused at the new setting. There were more than usual, a lot of them located quite close to him as well.

With a flick of a wrist, Bruno opened up the closest zipper, automatically all the other zippers opened in time with his. He dug his hand into the void inside and Tesler saw about a dozen fists launch a punch at him at a dozen different directions.

Instead of teleporting as usual, Tesler simply weaved out of the way, practically feeling the grazing attacks just gently slap cold wind from the force of the blow.

The grin on his face stretched wider.

"Interesting, interesting!" he exclaimed. "The more I see of your ability, the more I think our Devil Fruits are similar."

Tesler accidentally strayed too close to one of the zippers, allowing Bruno to grab his ankle with one hand, and used the other one to send another dozen mirrored punches.

The only way out of it was to inevitably teleport- but instead, Tesler attempt to block most of the attacks with his arm.

Bruno allowed a grim smile flicker on his face. "Oh really?" he simpered. "Unlike you, my time limit is longer."

_My time limit?_

Oh, so the chef figured it out. Tesler had to say, he expected more brawns than brains from the pirate, the entire battle came as a pleasant surprise.

Tesler consciously touched his bandaged left arm. "I'm not usually this cautious," he admitted. "But, I think I should save up my Devil Fruit for now... it'll probably come in better in use in escaping from this kingdom. That is, when the Captain comes to pick me up."

Brown eyes narrowed at him. "Why do you follow him? You're batshit insane but definately smarter and stronger than that runt."

The famous 'Reaper' smile lit up like a mad flame.

"Ah yes, the question I have been dreading!" Tesler announced with a long fake chuckle. "Why do I follow that naiive, hot-headed boy? _Well_, for a start, he risked his life to save a man who had stabbed him in the stomach before. Also..."

The malicious smile softened a little.

Bruno's eyes widened.

"He tries to understand me."

For a second, Tesler looked like a completely different being- but it all evaporated too quickly and he returned to his cryptic, creepy state.

The dark-haired man swung the ninjata playfully in his hand. "So how about it? Join us in our trip to hell led by this crazy idiot!" he sang. "In return of your good services, I'll tell you more about your lovely father "Kettle.""

Bruno's shoulders squared, as if he was ready to charge again.

"All this because the brat was 'nice' to you. Here I thought you were the type to be just 'amused' by people."

"Why, thank you!" Tesler flourished a bow. "But that's not really my character, unfortunately. Good analysis though." He let out a short sigh. "The day I leave his ship... will be the day he becomes a little more like me, like you and the rest of the team. I'll be finished with that One-Shot the day he understands the truth about pirates."

* * *

**"Shooting Star!"**

**"Tachycardia!"**

**"Cranium Kick!"**

**"Orchido Crusher!"**

Seth let out an explosion of attacks, watching a blur of black and yellow spin around her. She wasn't sure how many of them were still coming at her and how many she was actually effectively sweeping out of her path.

Within the madness of angry bees, Seth tried to make some sense of the great big honeycomb hallways. It looked the same no matter where she went, the only way she could keep track of where she was going was by leaving behind a trail of unconcious enemies, but even in the fairy tale of Gansel and Heathel, they eventually ran out of breadcrumbs.

Seth hoped she would be able to find her Captain before she ran out of bodies.

"Maap!" she wailed, delivering a bone shattering punch to one Hachiningen, before spinning round and connect her knuckles to the jaw of another looming over her shoulder. "Maaap! Why did you leave me to find Captain on my own! What good is a map if I can't use it!"

**"Carpo Snap!"**

There was a crunch of bones as she sharply elbowed two security guards behind her.

One desperately tried to splash a handful sleeping powder at her face but she could still feel the remnants of Nine's antidote on her tongue. She wasn't sure though if it was going to help against their liquid filled darts or strange smelling fencing swords, so she kept well away from them.

Seth lifted a random Patroller into the air and threw him at a random group, knocking two more opponents off their feet.

"Captain Urchin! Seppuku-dono!" she hollered. "I'm coming, so just hold on!"

She slammed her head against the next attacking Hachiningen's skull.

"Uh... **Headbutt**?"

* * *

Worry and stress was gnawing at the back of Brandy's head, slowing making its way to the front. He was doing exactly what the stranger on the speaker told him to do, but Wake was still looking worse by the second.

"Look Wake! Your hat fell by!" Brandy gabbled a hasty lie in hope it would let the swordsman focus a bit better. "You care for that damn, dirty thing, don't you?"

Wake simply rolled his eyes about in the sockets, breathing quite quickly and clamming fingers clenching and unclenching round the bandaged katana.

"You made a promise!" Brandy went on helplessly. "You promised to help me find Rum- oh that bloody stupid girl. If it wasn't for her, neither of us would be neck deep in this shit."

Incoherent words strung out of Wake's pale lips.

Feeling a flicker of hope, Brandy leaned forward slightly. "What did you say Wake? You said something, right?"

"Aneki... I kept..." he mumbled. "...it won't..."

Brandy blinked owlishly. "Aneki? You have an older sister, Wake?"

Before Brandy got to see if he was able to get a reply, he heard the doors to the maze creak open slowly. He whipped his head round at the opening and shifted into a defensive stance in front of the silverhaired pirate.

"I owe you from back at Marchpoint Island against that pink-eyed bastard. So try not to die on me," he muttered and fixed a stern glare on the door. "MONROE! Is that you?"

No reply.

_So it's not you._

Brandy leaned forward a little in anticipation. The doors finally swung open and he leapt into the air bringing down a sharp kick with his metal leg. Something screeched loudly and Brandy hit empty ground, making a large crack on where he landed.

Practically hugging the door was a terrified looking redhead, covered from head to toe in thick clothes.

Brandy didn't waste a moment and threw his other leg into the stranger's direction.

"W-W-WAIT!" he screamed, hugging his head. "IMWITHTHEDOCTOR!"

The kick froze in midair, just inches away from hitting target.

"What did you say?" Brandy demanded.

Seeing that he was spared, the redhead collapsed onto his knees with a sigh of relief. He then timidly raised his head to meet Brandy's gaze and did his best to smile casually.

"U-U-Umm... hello," he stammered.

A teal eyebrow twitched.

"Yeah. Hi. Now tell me who the hell you are again."

"O-Oh... I'm with S-S-Seth," he replied shakily. "I-I'm Nine. Y-Y-You must be Captain U-Ur-"

"MY NAME ISN'T CAPTAIN URCHIN!" Brandy roared.

Nine meeped and pushed his head down his oversized scarf.

Brandy took a second to calm down. Now wasn't the time to be all melodramatic. "You..." he breathed out. "You're the guy from the speakers. Are you with Map and the Doctor?"

"They... k-kidnapped me."

A sick, swirly feeling gathered up in the 18-year-old's gut. "Oh friggin' Poseidon, I'm so bloody sorry for whatever traumatic thing they made you go through..."

Nine shook his head violently. "N-No... it's all okay..." his twitchy green eyes skimmed over Wake's body. "H-How is he?"

"Doing crap- and I'm not helping the situation." Brandy returned to his comrade and raised the pirate's feet again a little, resting them on his lap. "Can't do much other than this until Monroe shows up."

Taking one small step at a time, Nine inched closer to the two.

"I-I-I... from the cameras... I mean Doctor is k-kinda in trouble," he whispered. "S-So, I came b-by..."

Brandy's sea green eyes studied him. "You're a doctor too?"

"N-No... but I guess I can heal y-y-your friend... in a way..."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Nine shyly edged even closer. "W-Well... I'd like to be a-alone with him and..." His voice slowly trailed away as Brandy rose to his full height, a deep frown creasing his features.

"How can I trust you?" Brandy asked evenly.

That question in particular had thrown Nine off. "Uh... your friend is dying, your doctor isn't here yet and you are useless at first-aid." He spoke as if talking to a stupid, ignorant child.

Brandy didn't miss Nine's tone, and felt a familiar pulse of anger throb at his forehead. "Why you _little_-"

Automatically, Nine covered his head again. "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! JUST LET ME HEAL YOUR FRIEND!"

* * *

Somewhere near the edge of the island, Love was looking out for any means of transport he -as a human- could use. Nothing seemed promising so far besides an airship. Since the Hachiningen were born flyers, they didn't see much point in collecting things which can travel by water.

He sighed and glanced down at his wrist again.

_Oh yes._

It was surprising, but back then...

_Unclaimed bottles began to smash around them, glittering glass and sparkling liquid scattered the ground like a sea of jewels._

_"AS IF HE CAN REMEMBER THAT!"_

_A projectile shot out from the hastily-built nozzle on Brandy's foot, rushing to the pink-haired landing point. Not a second after it exploded, Brandy kicked up the sword using his working knee and flung it on the same trail._

_Wake's hand reached out to grab the hefty blade, and swung it in a wide, curving arc._

_**"Sonatakeishiki: Aizu!"**_

_A streak of blood splattered across the floor._

A newbie pirate had actually managed to cut him- a Shichibukai.

Tock would probably laugh so hard he would choke on his own saliva. Heck, even Silverlock might laugh.

* * *

Despite the mayhem which had just happened, the Queen seemed to be in only good mood. She watched the screens with a bright twinkle in her eyes, and sat attentively in her throne.

"Your Majesty, we have regained control of the control system-zuzu. Nearly all the escapees have been detained-zuzu," a guard reported. "They are currently at the hall, secured tightly-zuzu."

She smiled pleasantly at him, which nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Good work-zuzu!" she chirped. "We shall be returning to our quarters-zuzu. Ministers, please call Us when everyone is gathered-zuzu."

The Ministers exchanged bewildered looks but quickly bowed as their ruler rose to her feet. She skipped away merrily, with her confused maids following afterwards.

The Queen must have found who she liked.

"It must be one of the remaining contestants here-zuzu," a Minister murmured, glancing at the large hexagonal screens arranged over the honeycomb wall. "She picked rather quickly, I have to say-zuzu."

In just a few screens were there still active contestants running about the Stages, all who appeared to be coming together at the same destination. One camera was staring at a blond woman guiding two beaten up men through dead traps, another was a girl battling her way through an off-limit area, there was also a teal-haired teenager reluctantly taking what looked like his sibling and a teddy bear through a maze.

And in the middle of it all...

One Minister tightened his jaw. He could feel his arms quiver at the sight of a redhead tending to a silver-haired swordsman.

_A Royal Coat Pirate._

* * *

The pain was fading, that was probably not a good sign. Though Wake wasn't sure he cared so much for it anymore, he just wanted to sleep.

_Can you still hear me, pirate rookie? That's good._

He wanted to sleep, he wanted to ignore the annoying voice hammering on the inside of his skull.

_I'm going to save your life now, but it's going to hurt._

Falling asleep was probably not a good idea in the first place, even Wake knew that.

_Hope you're not a screaming type._

A cold, metal object was pushed into his chest. It tore through his skin, ribs and into his heart.

He screamed.

* * *

"What the bloody _hell_ have you done to him?" Brandy demanded, throwing his hands over his head. "He looks ten times worse than before!"

Nine squirmed a little. "H-He's fine though..."

"How am I supposed to know that? I can't cut him up to see if his insides are fixed!" the 18-year-old ranted on. "He looks as if you beat the crap out of him!"

Vermouth wrinkled his nose. "I have to say... that is a very unhealthy skin tone."

"I agree," Orso added.

"I'm fine..." Wake muttered, holding the bandaged sword to his chest tighter. He was finally wearing his black hat, which shaded his sickly looking face, and the dark circles under his droopy eyes. Though Wake was no longer shivering and half-conscious, his recovery was not entirely convincing.

Tesler patted Brandy lightly on the back. "Come on now, our mysterious ally's done a fantastic job. Wake-senpai's walking and talking, what more could we ask for?"

"His memories might be nice."

_Clap clap._

Everyone paused and turned their attention to the navigator who had her hands together. She studied each person quickly but precisely, as if analysing their level of usefulness. Vermouth was most uncomfortable by her scrutinizing gaze, Orso was not entirely sure how he was measured but the rest of the team took it neutrally.

"Hate to interrupt, but I'm sure you've all noticed the lack of guards and people around," she said calmly. "The Hachiningen may be busy trying to capture all the escaping contestants, so we should use this chance to make our own exit."

Brandy frowned. "Where would they escape to?"

"They all have weapons and antidotes, I'm sure they can all improvise," she replied smoothly. "Now, here comes the next issue... where is the Doctor?"

Nine opened his mouth to speak but a thundering explosion drowned him over.

Rubble erupted from one end of the maze, sending several walls, tiling and dozens of Hachiningen guards soaring at all directions. A hurricane of dirt whipped against any standing object, throwing Brandy and the others off their feet.

The debris began to settle, an outline of a girl formed in front of the large, gaping hole which slowly became more visible as she approached the group. Behind her, a carpet of black and yellow bodies groaning in pain was rolled out across the entire corridor.

Bruno was the closest to the stranger, he forced himself to stand with his fists out ready to retaliate.

Soft footsteps padded closer, and the chef saw something he did not expect in a monster with inhuman strength.

A pair of beautiful dark eyes.

It belonged to a girl with long tangled hair the colour of golden sand, a pretty pink flower nestled behind her ear, complimenting the glow. She had a dazzling smile on her face, with light freckles dotted across her cheeks. The smile grew even brighter when the rest of the air finally cleared.

"Ah, found you!" she scrambled towards his direction like a child running to her best friend.

Bruno blinked dumbly. He was sure he had never seen such a person before in his life, so why did she-

She shot past him and threw herself onto a recovering Brandy.

"CAPTAIN!" she sang out loud, rubbing her freckled cheek against his. "I thought I would never see you again!"

Brandy did not return the affection. "Monroe! You're going to break my spine! _Again_!" he screamed, doing all he could to wretch the girl off whilst his body was making a series of painful popping noises.

"No no! If I let go, Captain will disappear again!" she insisted childishly. "I'll just hold onto Captain forever!"

"GET OFF BEFORE I HEADBUTT YOU, DAMN IT!"

Bruno watched the lively scene with an uncharacteristically empty expression. He forgot all about running away from the insane crew or that he still needed a word with that creepy Tesler. He just stared, whilst hearing something loudly drain out of his soul.

A hand was placed sympathetically on his shoulder.

Wake Waltz was wearing his usual vacant mask, but his silver eyes was holding sympathy. Standing near him, the rest of the crew including even Vermouth shared the same mutual compassion.

"I don't need your pity!" Bruno snapped at them.

Anne wiped something away at the corner of her eye. "No no, I understand. Doctor is such a pretty and kind girl, I'm sure you two will get along beautifully. But she just _adores_ Brandy-kun..."

"Like I said, I don't want your damn pity. Or are you just trying to rub salt into the wound?"

"Have no worries," Vermouth assured. "No matter how partial she is of my brother, he will always reject her warmth with the same cold hearted response everytime. He doesn't deserve such a devoted girl but seems she enjoys his company."

"I take that back! You're rubbing bloody acid into it!"

"If you want, you can ask her for a hug," Tesler suggested. "She'll give on to you, but it won't be as cozy and buddy-buddy as the one she's giving to the Captain."

"You guys SUCK at pep talk!"

A familiar buzz filled the air. The Hachiningen guards' hummed angrily as they filled the ceiling, holding bags full of sleeping powder over the remaining contestants. Along with them was one of the Ministers himself.

"Congratulations, there has never been this much chaos since sixty years ago-zuzu," the Minister said. "But your fun is over. You are all to do as you are told, or be all put in a _permanent_ sleep."

* * *

**[Outer Fairy Ring. Gold Sea.]**

He really could not believe it. He knew his Captain had done stupid things time to time again, like not listen to orders carefully enough, pick unneeded fights, throw disastrous drinking parties and even flirt with the higher ups... but she was not batshit insane as rumours say she was. Seriously.

"Captain, what are you doing?" Chorley inquired as politely as he could manage.

Hadley rolled her eyes at him. "Well what do you think, tootie-pie? I'm waiting for out 'monster' to come take you away."

"Captain, didn't we agree that you can pick a _pirate_ to take with you as bait?"

"It was terrible Abby, really was. Wasn't a single handsome man in those dingy cells, they were fugly as they come," she sighed. "And _I_ wasn't about to spend an entire voyage with such disgusting looking beings. So really Abbot, you should feel honoured that I've picked you to come with me."

Abbot Chorley gawked at her from the mast he was tied to. Several female Ensigns passed by, trying their best to ignore the unfortunate Lieutenant-Commander.

"Captain, you are using your own officer as _bait_."

Hadley placed a manicured nail over her lips. "Shh now. We're waiting for a monster."

* * *

**So, you guys get Silverlock's little pun from the Shichibukai meeting now? :D**

**I've been gone for a while, I know. Well, this arc is taking far longer than I imagined... but I promise you get to find out who the Queen's chosen next chapter. Any new guesses? XD**

**And why... I need to pick up the damn pace, stupid dialogues dragging the whole thing out too much.**

* * *

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus_ Bruno von Zeppeli_**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _- Orso McGee_**  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green- _Smoltwire_  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart- _Artemst_  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley- _SilverFish101_  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Rose - _flyingwhirlwinds_  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Lightning Pirates- Captain Zarem Astaro "the Great Flash", "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin (first mate), "Abominatin" Turgo Asator - _shadowjohn 101_  
**-**Royal Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron-_ Psychotic Tendency,_ Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster-_ Alan DeLan Writer,_ (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels-_ A Thinking Man's Radish,_ (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones- _Aurora Nightz_, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) _KatMeister_**  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator- _"Lightning" Chance Redcliffe


	16. Pursuit XIV: Lovestruck Queen

**ALCOHOL**

Pursuit XIV: Lovestruck Queen

* * *

_Previously ALCOHOL..._

After a disastrous battle against Shichibukai **Love Rafael**, **Wake** was on the brink of death. However, he was somehow healed by the mysterious **Nine**.

In the meanwhile, **Love** has broke into the house of airships, in order to find a way to escape.

The others finally managed to reunite only to be interrupted by the **Hachiningen**, and are being sent back to Queen **Mitsu** so she can pick her groom.

**Captain Hadley** has decided to use her own officer as bait to draw them out from outside the Fairy Ring.

* * *

(Chapter 15: Surprised Warlord)

_A familiar buzz filled the air. The Hachiningen guards' hummed angrily as they filled the ceiling, holding bags full of sleeping powder over the remaining contestants. Along with them was one of the Ministers himself._

_"Congratulations, there has never been this much chaos since sixty years ago-zuzu," the Minister said. "But your fun is over. You are all to do as you are told, or be all put in a _permanent_ sleep."_

* * *

The bees were pissed.

If one was to put it bluntly.

They had gathered all the marriage candidates into the original hall, with guards swarming across the sky, their beating wings creating an ominous fill in the tense atmosphere.

Brandy and his comrades were scattered about in the crowd, but close enough so he could all see them from where he stood. He craned his neck over several heads, seeing Seth and Anne being cautiously apprehended by a few guards near the edge of the hall.

No pirate, sailor or common man had the stupidity to cause a riot.

The Hachiningen had snapped a few times too many and were carrying deadly sleeping powder- not enough to kill someone but includesdfoaming at the mouth and a lot of screaming. A dramatic demonstration was made onto one unfortunate soul.

The double doors in front of them thundered open.

A guard cleared his throat.

"Presenting Queen Mitsu the Ninth-zuzu! Ruler of the Hachiningen-zuzu! Child of the Honey Goddess-zuzu! Wing of the East Blue-zuzu! Bow down to your Mistress, men-zuzu!"

A young girl stepped in. She was wearing a standard fluffy yellow and black striped clothes, bore wings and antennas- but what set her apart from the others was the long red cape draped over her shoulders and the gold-gilted sliding fan.

Some of the men began to awkwardly lower their heads at her, soon masses followed.

Brandy tightened his jaw. Just a few hours running around the trials and nearly everyone was scared for their lives.

"Raise your heads-zuzu! The Queen has watched you all in the trails and has finally come to a decision-zuzu!"

Four guards circled round Mitsu as she carefully studied every human face in front of her. Her honey eyes were blank, giving nothing away, despite she looked no older than Brandy himself she walked in an impressively regal manner.

_Now... who are you going to pick, your Majesty?_

Quickly his mind went to work. He had to think like a girl- like a _crazy_ girl. Afterall, no normal shy teenage girl would kidnap over a hundred men and put them to contest to see which one was 'worthy' of her just because she had the power to do so.

..._or would they?_

Green eyes flicked across the room.

Vermouth was standing closest to him, he was what Uncle Gin would describe as 'well groomed.' Apparently, being good at business meant being good in appearances was highly appropriate. On the other hand, big bro Vermouth was at least ten years older than the queen, so he probably wouldn't get picked.

Near his foot was Orso.

_...um, probably not._

Tesler was behind him.

_If the creepy smile won't send her running for it, his crap personality will._

Then there was Bruno, not exactly ugly but just a bit tough looking. He was the most pirate-ish out of their bunch which worried Brandy immensely, it would do him no good at all if he lost his chef on the day of recruiting him.

His train of thought was ruined by a loud yawn.

_Oh hell no._

He had forgotten all about Wake. The lazy swordsman who seemed to be sleeping on his _feet_.

Forget the fact the Sleeping Curse has a strange attachment to his hat and suffers from some form of short-term memory, he had a pretty face. A pretty face which was busy drooling.

If Brandy lost the opportunity to find Rum on Honeymoon island, Wake's knowledge of the New World would have to be his second option- only it wouldn't be much of an option if his guide was obliviously stuck to the side of an insane queen bee.

Mitsu was strolling closer towards them, big black eyes skimming past them hurriedly.

Sweat prickled at the back of Brandy's neck.

_I need to hide Wake._

Her pace slowed down when she reached Brandy.

_Need to-_

She frowned.

"That's strange-zuzu," she said out loud. "We were sure that..."

A bizarre thought sparked across Brandy's mind that she was going to pick _him_. Luckily, she spared him a few seconds before scanning the crowd again. It was her way of saying 'aw, hell no.'

Then a wide smile flooded her face. Her Majesty merrily skipped past the dozing Wake right to the end of the line. All eyes trailed after her in curiosity. She shooed a few guards away who were crowding round a person. A pair of human hands were clasped together with Mitsu's.

"We pick you-zuzu!" she announced cheerfully.

Brandy's jaw hit the floor.

Many more joined him.

The rest of the lot simply fell over.

She picked Seth.

"M-M-_Monroe_?" Brandy spluttered. "You're picking Monroe?"

Seth eyed her hands which was being held delicately by the rosy-cheeked stranger.

"Umm... hello?"

"Hello-zuzu! And don't you have the _sweetest_ voice-zuzu?" Mitsu cooed, reaching out to pat Seth on her freckled cheek. "Yes, it's decided-zuzu. We would like to marry you-zuzu."

The shocked Hachiningen security watched the scene with stunned silence. However, the Ministers jumped into action. They flocked round Mitsu with wide black eyes and words laced in horror.

"Y-Your Majesty cannot be serious-zuzu!"

"You must understand this event was _soley_ created for your Majesty's need for an heiress-zuzu!"

"Does none of these men interest your Majesty at all-zuzu?"

The tallest one pushed through the crowd. "Your Majesty-zuzu! We were all so sure you were going to pick one of _these_ men-zuzu!" He jabbed a finger at a random direction.

Mitsu simply sniffed. "Fools-zuzu."

Her sour expression changed to a pretty smile as she brought her attention back to Seth. She absently adjusted the flower tucked behind the doctor's ear.

"We were looking at Our beloved who was battling the guards in a magnificent manner-zuzu," she tweeted.

When Tesler began to chuckle to himself, he received a murderous glare from both Brandy and Bruno.

"Uh lad... are you going to do something about this?" Orso asked quietly. "She _is_ your team doctor. Doctors I find, are quite valuable."

Brandy snorted. "What do you think I should do? Shove my way to the front and tell her to back off?"

"That would be very interesting," Tesler said in between his sniggers. "I'm personally a fan of love triangles."

"...that was a terrible joke, Tesler."

Bruno pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, if you're all too scared to do it. _I'll_ go." He pushed past the few people standing in front of him, not sparing to apologize to the frowning bystanders.

The word 'scared' poked Brandy viciously. "Scared? _Scared_ of just some talking bees?"

The dark-haired archaeologist gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "No worries, dear Captain. We all know how stage fright can-"

Overwhelmed with a surge of competitiveness, Brandy slapped Tesler's hand away and charged past Bruno.

"Oi, lady!" he jabbed an accusing finger at Mitsu's direction. "Get your honeyed mitts off my doctor!"

Silence thundered across the hall.

The Queen's soft-honey eyes flared into burning suns.

"_Your_ doctor-zuzu?" she repeated shrilly.

Brandy spared a second to turn round to give a smug smile and a peace-out sign to his chef- who merely responded by gaping at him. Brandy also caught Vermouth staring him as if he had told the queen she should burn her kingdom down, and behind him, Tesler was two jokes away from screaming with laughter.

Mitsu pointed her fan at the teal-haired teen. "GUARDS-ZUZU! DETAIN HIM-ZUZU!"

Panic swelled across the crowd of pirates. As the Hachingen swooped down to get closer to their target, some of the taller and bolder men reached out for their ankles and yanked them to the ground. Confusion arose as the security attempted to calm down the humans, grab Brandy, take the Queen to safety at the same time.

As a last resort, the hovering guards reached into their bags of poisonous dust.

**KER-RASH!**

Suddenly, an airship tore through the ceiling. It was more streamlined than ordinary ships, giving it a more sleek and feminine touch. The original owner was quite obvious as the bowsprit had a large golden bee with elaborate silver wings tied to it. It glowed vibrantly at the explosion of sunlight which poured in from behind.

The airship floored many surprised Hachiningen, further injuring dozens more with pieces of the ceiling crumbling off from the hole. The craft made a clumsy turn, as if trying to leave the great hall, but only cause more pieces of the ceiling and wall to break off.

The Ministers frantically flocked to shelter.

"Wh-Who dares to steal Her Majesty's favourite ship-zuzu?" one of them screeched.

In the cockpit, sat a very confused Shichibukai, pushing random buttons and occasionally spinning the wheel. The ship was making a variety of grumbles as its way of marking the lack of progress.

"I'm one of the seven Warlords of the military seas. Navigating a little ship should be _nothing_ compared to whatever evil things I've supposedly done in my life" Love deadpanned.

A pained groan from what was probably the engine room rumbled loud enough for his chair to tremble.

"That sounded convincing."

The airship jerked about in its hole, continuously causing a rain of rubble to attack the humans and Hachiningen below. It was slowly tipping inside, getting closer to the floor.

Anne saw an opportunity to escape.

A couple of guards snuck up on her from behind, but she had already bitten her finger. The trickle of blood from the wound snapped with a sharp crack cutting into the air.

**"Doki Doki no** **Muchi!"** (Bloody Bloody Whip)

Whilst she stung a few more of the fuzzy-coated security, she searched for the rest of her group.

"Brandy-kun!" she shouted over the chaos. "Tesler! Wake Waltz! Doctor!"

"Miss Anne!" Tesler called back. "Follow the bear!"

Anne wondered if all the fighting and rowdiness was making her deaf.

"...follow the _what_?"

Soon enough, she saw a teddy bear being tossed into the air above the crowd. As it fell down it began thrashing its arms and legs in a bizarrely realistic manner. The bear disappeared from sight, but went shooting back up again just seconds later, who was looking more angry at every throw.

After watching the soft toy fly a couple of times, Anne came back to her senses and finally began to chase after it.

Meanwhilst, Brandy tore through the sea of bodies and grabbed Seth by the wrist.

"Come _on_!" he bellowed into her ear and tugged her towards Orso's direction.

They regrouped underneath the tilted airship, however, they were not the only ones sporting the idea. Men began to shove at eachother wildly as they formed small herds under the ship.

Tesler drew out a dagger.

**"Kuroboshi!"** (_Black Spot)_

He swerved round a huddle of startled pirates, leaving behind a spurt of blood erupting from each man's chest. They collapsed onto the floor and Tesler waved his armed hand.

"This way! I'll teleport us into the ship from here!"

A Hachiningen tore through the crowd. "Not so fast, human!"

Just as Tesler turned round to stab the soldier, a spray of sleeping powder clouded over his face. He hacked violently and collapsed into the floor, but managed to successfully plunge the knife into a fluffy black and yellow chest. Victory was short-lived as he lost consciousness before the group finally reunited.

Matters became worse when the airship start to lift itself out of the hole. It was getting ready to fly away.

"OII! DON'T YOU DARE SLEEP ON ME!" Brandy hauled Tesler's lifeless body up. "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN? WHY IS IT ALWAYS SLEEPING? WHY DO I EVEN HAVE YOU GUYS AROUND?"

Patience running thin, he resorted to slapping the limp victim to blow off steam. He was stopped by a disapproving Anne and a despairing Vermouth.

"We're going to die... we're going to die stuck in this honey-scented hell-hole..." the older One-Shot groaned.

"Shut up Vermouth," Brandy and Bruno muttered simultaneously.

They first blinked at eachother in surprise, their mirrored expressions quickly wrinkled into a glare. Seth however, merely found it all amusing.

"Haha! Captain, looks like you've found your long-lost brother instead of your sister!" she giggled, patting the chef on the back. "Welcome to the family, brother! I like your apron, by the way."

Orso let out a deep cough. "Boys and girls, it's not time yet to be chit-chatting." He undrew his zipper mouth which stretched from one side of his head to the other. "If you aren't going to do anything productive, then just leave it to the adults."

Despite he was only a two-foot teddy bear, Brandy felt a chill from his words, compelling him to rely on the stuffed animal.

Anticipation rose as the group watched him slowly unzipped his mouth. They almost heard each metal tooth grate against the zipper over the chaos of fighting humans and Hachiningen.

**"Hokan Hokan no Mi:..."** (Storage Storage Fruit)

The attention grew more focused.

**"Nom." **

He shoved his paw deep down his throat.

"Eew!"

"Urgh, _why_? You sounded so cool up to then!"

A mixed response of fascination and disgust overcame Orso's audience as he pulled out a long coil of rope from his mouth. He handed one end to Brandy and tied the other to his stomach.

"Hold onto your Captain, lads."

Orso shifted into a stance where his back paws were planted firmly on the ground, as if waiting for something to slam at him.

**"Kumo Hochou!"**

A gust of air exploded from his feet in a furious huff. He was sprung into the air once more, but before he went down, air exploded from his back paws again, sending him higher and higher.

"Oh, I get it. He's going t-AHH!"

The rope in Brandy's hands snapped tight and yanked him into the air by the force of Orso's take-off.

Hastily, Anne latched on, followed by Vermouth and Nine who both found it appropriate to scream, Bruno joined next, then Wake who was also carrying Tesler and finally Seth.

Although Orso seemed to be nothing but a small doll, his body was able to lug the entire group with him onto the side of the airship. He hauled them on deck with a graceful swoop, landing softly on his velvet paws.

His companions peeled their faces off the floor with dignity.

"Okay, that was less violent than I expected," Brandy announced, pushing himself to his feet.

Just before he began to walk, he almost tripped over a familiar figure which was crouched on the ground. "Sorry, sorry, my ba- aait a second... y-you are..."

Seth helped up the golden-eyed girl easily with one arm.

"Are you okay? I hope I didn't hurt you when we were getting pulled up," Seth said.

"No, not at all-zuzu! We were perfectly safe in your arms-zuzu."

Brandy's eye twitched.

"Monroe, why did you bring _her psycho Majesty_ along?"

The doctor glanced at Mitsu in confusion. "But Captain, it was dangerous to leave a girl on her own down there. She could've easily been knocked down!"

"HAVE YOU NOT FIGURED OUT THAT SHE KIDNAPPED ALL OF US JUST TO PICK A HUSBAND?"

That was when Mitsu finally snapped as well.

"WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST OUR TRADITION-ZUZU?" she challenges.

"I SAY YOUR TRADITION IS MESSED UP! WHY CAN'T YOU DO THE NORMAL THING AND JUST DATE?"

Mitsu smirked arrogantly. "Normal-zuzu? Why should We partake in the normal, when We clearly deserve so much more-zuzu?" She flicked her hair off her shoulders. "Besides, it was a perfect opportunity to test the competence of Our servants-zuzu! You see-"

As she went full spring into her anecdote, Anne tapped Brandy on the shoulder and pointed the door leading to the heart of the airship. They crept inside, checking for anything to jump at them like the many traps back on the island.

Deciding the fresh air was too much, Vermouth scrambled inside as well.

"-hundreds of years ago the ruling Queen was overthrown by her traitorous people-"

Orso nervously tried to edge away from the gang as Seth gave him the most peculiar stare.

"-so the Queen in her rage cursed her country and prayed that nothing but ill deeds will fall upon them and-"

Before he could even break into a run, Seth scooped him up in her arms and squidged him into a bear-crushing hug. He nearly disappeared under her limbs with his stuffing bursting at the seams. The girl happily ignored his screams, she was just overexposed with cuteness.

"-the Hachiningen learnt their lesson and thus never disobeyed their Queen again knowing what terror will befall-"

Wake prodded Tesler's unconcious body with his boot. He then went to catch the doctor's attention.

"-but of course, there was the incident with the Royal Coat pirates some years ago-"

Realizing there was work to be done, Seth dropped Orso carelessly on the floor like a forgotten toy and rushed to Tesler's aid.

Wake watched her fuss over him for a while before studying the recovering bear. He wondered if the teddy got hurt, were they meant to take him to the doctor still? Then again, he sort of recalled a time when a doctor stitched him up when he was bleeding.

Suddenly, the ship drooped to the side, almost throwing the remaining people overboard. Seth barely had anything to hold onto with Tesler tucked under her arms, but managed to crash into the mast which stopped her from rolling off the deck.

Wake glanced over the railings at the island which was shrinking quickly in his sight. Orso tumbled by and landed on Wake's head, causing his hat to pull over his eyes.

"Just what the heck are the others doing inside there?" Orso muttered.

* * *

[**Corridor. Airship**]

The long corridors inside the vessel were creaky and dimly-lit, if it wasn't for the glossy furnishing Brandy would've likened the situation in being on a ghost ship. The uneven groan of footsteps carried across the lonely passage, with nothing but black rooms to greet the guests.

"I don't get it. If a crew raided this place, why aren't any of them around?" Brandy murmured.

Anne peeked inside one of the empty rooms. "Not enough manpower?"

"So what, you're saying _one_ person snatched this whole ship?"

Before Anne replied, the other One-Shot male butted in. "It's more likely that way, a whole gang of humans is easier to spot wandering around than a single person."

"Vermouth, who the hell invited you here?"

"Really Brandy, you need to mind y-"

It was Anne's turn to cut him off. She clamped her hand over Vermouth' mouth firmly, despite that the grooves of her scarred fingers making him cringe. To Brandy, she pointed forwards where they finally saw a light source, glowing by a door at the end of the corridor.

He nodded and darted forward, his footsteps getting lighter and squeakier. He rested his hand on the doorknob for a moment, mustering his strength again for whatever was to come next.

"Go for it," Anne mouthed at him.

Brandy tore through the door-

-and saw Love staring at him from the cockpit seat.

"YOU?"

"Me."

"What?" Anne followed suite, a blood whip circling her arm.

Her brown eyes fell upon the strange man sitting before her, and all the colour began to drain from her face.

The blood snake scurried back inside her cut.

"Brandy-kun... you know this man?" she asked softly.

"Sure I do, this is the bastard who messed up Wake," Brandy replied bitterly. Though, he quickly picked up that Anne wasn't acting curious, but cautious. "Why, you know him too?"

_Know him? **Know** him?_

About then, Vermouth couldn't stand hiding in the dark any longer and peeked over Anne's shoulder to see who they were staring at. A cold sensation swept through him the instant he saw the pink hair, the dark eyes, the vandalised Marine coat.

"I-I-It's him!" Vermouth stammered. "H-He's the one who wrecked m-my ship! And took out a-all my guards!"

Anne's face set in a grim smile.

"Dear One-Shots," she said shakily. "Perhaps I should introduce you to one of the seven sea's greatest nightmares. Meet "Ghost Knight" Love Rafael. A Shichibukai."

A dramatic pause thundered on cue after Anne's words.

All of a sudden, the ship titled under their feet. Brandy and Anne lost their footing for a second but kept their ground, whilst Vermouth slammed against a wall.

Love flapped a hand at them and used the other to steady the wheel.

"That was my fault. Not much of a navigator," he mumbled.

Brandy raised an eyebrow at Anne, though he didn't say anything she got the message quite clearly. _Are you _really_ sure he's one of them?_

The airship shuddered vigorously, tossing Vermouth again off his feet.

"Damn it, how sensitive are the controls?" Brandy grumbled to himself.

"Oh no, that wasn't me," Love interjected. "I think I've been hit."

"By what?"

* * *

[**Outer Fairy Ring. Gold Sea**]

There was only one explanation for the entire case- according to Hadley.

"Abbott, ever heard of aliens?"

The pink-eyed man glanced at her warily. "Excuse me, Captain?"

She grinned back. "Aliens! They're mythical beasts who set sail across the sky, and kidnap humans at night as if they were fish. It all makes sense, why didn't I think of this earlier?"

If he could, Chorley would've face-palmed, but being tied to a mast restricted a lot of movement.

"I guess I should shoot it down," Hadley continued absently. "Since that's where all the kidnapped men are probably are." She flashed a few hand signals at the awaiting sailors, who all saluted and began to load the cannons.

"Captain, if they really were 'aliens,' why are they out here in broad daylight?" Chorley inquired. "Also, aren't you at least a bit suspicious that their ship appeared from absolutely _nowhere_?"

His captain smiled sweetly at him.

"Now honey, you know me well enough to know how I'll answer that!" she chirped.

She hopped on top of the butt of largest cannon standing on forecastle deck, her weight sending the nozzle up into the sky.

Chorley's eye twitched. "You'll improvise?"

"And you guessed right, toots!" Hadley exclaimed proudly. She lit the cannon and took aim at the flying vessel. "FIIIRE!"

* * *

[**Main Deck****. Airship**]

Nine's eyes widened in sheer horror at what he saw over the railings.

"M-M-MARINES!" he screamed. "Th-The Marines are here to c-capture us!"

Bruno cursed out loud and clambered onto a ropeladder which was attached to the main sail. He pushed his head through the weaves of rope and yelled at the standstill people.

"Come on! We need to set the sails! Give us some speed!"

Nine was the only one who moved to climb the ropes too on the opposite side. Orso was unfortunately too short to reach even the first rung, Wake simply yawned and ignored the chef, Mitsu scoffed at the idea of obeying a human and Seth was still acting as doctor for Tesler.

"You guys make terrible pirates!" Bruno concluded.

His comment only confused Seth. "Pirates? Whoever said we were pirates? We're a rescue team!"

"... a what?"

* * *

[**Cockpit. Airship**]

"We're hit. We're hit," Love proclaimed in monotone. "Oh no, whatever should I do? I'm going to drown with a bunch of third-rate pirates."

"I'm not a pirate!" Brandy argued.

"Neither am I!" Vermouth piped up in the background.

Anne shot daggers at them. "I _said_ he's a Shichibukai! Don't try to pick a fight with him!" she hissed quietly for only the two to hear.

"For such a famous guy, he sucks at flying!" Brandy exasperated, but matched Anne's quiet tone.

The pink-haired warlord nodded nevertheless. "True that." He abruptly got out of his seat. "Take the wheel, the ship's all yours."

The instant he got to his feet, the wheel began to spin randomly, causing it to lurch madly left and right. Anne lunged for control and tried to steady the floating airship.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Brandy spluttered.

He received a nonchalant gaze from Love. "I don't care for broken things. I'm boarding the Marines' rift."

Just as the shichibukai mentioned 'Marines' Anne had peered out of one of the large glass panels which gave a generous view of the sea below. There, she saw the dread ship bearing white sails with a familiar blue logo.

"Brandy-kun, I need you to get back on deck and tell everyone to release the sails," she instructed. "We're going to have to move away from the enemy fire."

Vermouth interjected. "Shouldn't we simply surrender like the Warlord? We'll tell them we've been kidnapped and they'll let us go!"

His younger brother simply elbowed him roughly. "Idiot! Don't forget Wake Waltz is with us! If I lose him to the Marines, I could lose Rum's trail!"

"_You're_ the idiot for making business with a pirate!"

Anne flicked a blood bullet at Brandy's prosthetic leg. "Move it!"

* * *

[**Outer Fairy Ring. Gold Sea**]

The female Marine sailors were scrambling across the deck, passing extra round shots or firing their cannons. Chorley watched the hectic scene silently for a few minutes. He then finally spotted his partner, Blanca Ross helping load a muzzle.

"Blanca!" he roared over the explosions of cannon-fire.

The young brunette stopped what she was doing and looked up. "Sir," she addressed him. "What can I do for you?"

"What can you do for me?" he echoed slowly, feeling heat boiling over his head. "I'M STILL TIED TO THIS MAST! WHAT DO YOU _THINK_ YOU CAN DO FOR ME?"

"Oh, right."

She pulled out a long knife from her belt and began to saw through the rope. She was jogged and almost stabbed Chorley in the arm by a sailor who was screaming for her captain.

"Captain Hadley!" she squawked. "There's a shichibukai on board of the airship! I just saw him on the deck!"

Hadley blinked dumbly. "Wait. Really? Isn't that peculiar..."

To add to the turmoil, her Den Den Mushi began to ring with a report from the Crow's Nest.

"C-C-Captain!" the snail stammered. "A dozen more airships have suddenly appeared!"

Whilst the majority of the officers began to panic. Hadley only wrinkled her eyebrows and scratched the back of her orange hair.

"This is either a lot of trouble over just a handful of men..." Hadley deduced. "...or we're attacking the wrong ship. Looks like we bit off more than we could-"

Without warning, Love Rafael plummeted next to them, his body fell through the deck as if it was water, and slowly he floated back up again onto his feet.

Spectators gasped and took subconscious steps back away from the pirate. Whispers of "Ghost Knight" drifted across the air which Love seemed not at all bothered with.

"You came here just in time," he said. "Now, can we leave?"

Hadley jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the ship he descended from. "You had company on that ship, Ghost Knight?"

"Not really, just a rag-tag group of pirates," he replied casually. "Though I did catch a glimpse of this royalty girl, nothing for you to spurt your dear justice over, since those flying ships look as if they're going to take her back."

One sailor sighed in relief. "So they're not here to attack us..."

"So if you don't mind, can we leave?"

* * *

**What can I say? I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO WAIT FOREVER FOR THIS. **

**New poll out! Please check it out if you're passing by!**

**And here's some shameless advertising for my other One Piece OC story: **Marines Guide to Pirates, Pillows and all that Jazz**. Loads of vacancies to fill in.**

**PS Break Mimosa! I've sent a PM but it's been quite a while so I'm assuming it got deleted with the rest of the new PM move. I just wanted to check if you were still interested in reading and willing to let me use your OC.**

**PPS GUUYS! Artemst did some wonderful WANTED bounty posters for Seth and Wake! Links are on my profile page! They're absolute gold!**

* * *

**BRANDY'S CREW:-**

**_Swordsman- _**_taken by Artemst_- Wake Waltz**_  
Navigator- _**_taken by HowCouldThisHappenToMe_- Anne**_  
Sniper_**_- taken by Break Mimosa**  
Chef- **taken by Bearded Zeus_ Bruno von Zeppeli_**  
Doctor- **taken by Cocoasit_- Seth Monroe**_  
Archaeologist-_**_taken by shadowjohn 101_- John Tesler**_  
Shipwright_**_- taken by Dthehalfdragon _- Orso McGee_**  
Musician/Entertainer**- taken by LollyPopStar_

**OTHER:-**

**_Marines-_** **_  
_**_-Admiral Gin One-Shot  
-Vice Admiral Sabar Green- _Smoltwire_  
-Rear Admiral Sherry One-Shot  
-Captain Boulevia Earlhart- _Artemst_  
-Captain Pheonix Hadley- _SilverFish101_  
**-**Lieutenant Commander Abbott Chorley  
**-**? Blanca Ross - _flyingwhirlwinds_  
**Enemy Crew**_-  
**_-_**_Lightning Pirates- Captain Zarem Astaro "the Great Flash", "Blood Mistress" Alexa Kuruvin (first mate), "Abominatin" Turgo Asator - _shadowjohn 101_  
**-**Royal Coat Pirates- Captain "Royal Coat" Himitsu**  
Ally Crew-  
-**Rum's crew- (Captain) Rum One-Shot, (Sniper) "Frigidus Caecus" Arron-_ Psychotic Tendency,_ Noah Alcott (Shipwright)_ _  
**-**Golden Blood Pirates- Captain Marie Foster-_ Alan DeLan Writer,_ (Swordsman) "Red Demon" Tassels-_ A Thinking Man's Radish,_ (Entertainer) "Guardian" Azura Jones- _Aurora Nightz_, (Navigator) "Thousand Lights" Shiro  
**-**Hero DeMont (one-man pirate) _KatMeister_**  
Shichibukai- all taken**  
- taken by Happy2Bme- _"Clockwork" Tock_  
-taken by Lururi- _"Captain Oleander" Nikki Murcott_  
-taken by Threedimensional- _Belladonna Shocks "The Bedlam_  
-taken by Q Bone- _Dakota J. August_  
-taken by Professor Featherbrain- _"Ghost Knight" Love Rafael_  
-taken by IndigoWinter- _Miro "Silent" Silverlock_  
-taken by Daisy Alligator- _"Lightning" Chance Redcliffe


End file.
